Forgetting Tomorrow
by Aeieo
Summary: If there's no where to hide, where do you go? If everyone you hold so close to you is gone, for what reason is there to live? And most of all, if you life was in someone else's hands against your will, would you still save them? Chapter 9 up R&R!
1. Prologue

Hey this is Aeieo! Sorry about not having Chapter 1 posted but, I'm really busy and I will try my absolute hardest to get it posted. I'm working on four stories, and I hope you guys will enjoy this new story! Also please do not copy these ideas, they are completley original. Thanks so much and please review!

Love you guys,

Aeieo

**Prologue**

I aimed the 9mm straight at his head, my hands trembling slightly as I tried to steady the gun.

"You can just put that little toy away, darling," the male vampire said in an almost mocking tone. I clicked the gun off of safety mode.

"Let's just kill the bitch. It's quicker and more enjoyable," the female vampire said, licking her lips. She took a step towards me, the hunger showing clearly in her eyes, but the male held and arm out, restraining her from me. I took another step back, now trapped in the corner with no means of escape.

"No, _he_ had special orders to leave her unharmed. This one's special," he said flashing me a smile while showing off his razor-sharp fangs. I did not understand his words and I really didn't want to find out their meaning.

"Then put down the damn gun," the female snapped impatiently. I aimed the gun at her head.

"Now we can do this the hard way, or we can do this the easy way. Either way it is going to have the same result. Take your pick darling," the male said.

I am a fighter. Always the hard way. I'll be damned if I give up that easily.

"The hard way it is then," the female said. They both took a step towards me in unison.

"Take one more step and I will shoot," I said in an even voice, showing none of the emotions that I was currently feeling. They both laughed menacingly and I put my finger on the trigger. They took another step forward.

Then everything went into slow motion- I was pulling the trigger, just as it was ripped out of my hand. So I did the only thing I could think of to escape- run, and run like hell.

I managed to dodge the bloodsuckers and I pushed myself at top speed. I turned into a dark, deserted alley and started walking; fore I didn't hear the footsteps any longer.

I hid myself behind a dumpster, trying to regain a normal heartbeat, because it was so loud I was sure anyone could hear it, especially vampires.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," came that mocking male's voice. I froze and quit breathing.

"We know you're out her, we can smell you. Come out and it won't be so painful," the female said and I could imagine her smiling.

I heard the footsteps grow farther and farther away and I let out that breath of air that I had been holding back. I silently prayed to God while tears of happiness streamed down my face. I waited ten minutes, then finally stood up and moved cautiously out of the alley, keeping my eyes out for anything.

Right before stepping out of the alley, I took a look around the corner. Deserted. I took one step out and I heard a scuffling noise from above me. I looked up only to see the face I thought I had escaped. He threw himself off the building, landing a meter away from me in a crouch. He straightened himself, a grin plastered to his face as he eyed me with curiosity.

My eyes darted in all directions, trying to think of a plan off the top of my head.

"Game over sweetie. There's no where to run," he said, taking one step towards me. I took a lunge out into the road, landing on my side. I saw headlights and they were approaching me quickly at about 100 miles per hour. I knew it was too late for me, but it really didn't bother me. At least I wouldn't have to go with the bloodsuckers.

All the sudden, something rock hard slammed into me and I heard a sickening crunch come from my arm. I groaned in pain as I was wondering why I wasn't dead. And what hit me? The car or the vampire?

Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, just as all the weight was lifted off of me. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the pain.

"Are you crazy? Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?" The male's voice came again, and I knew who had hit me now.

I didn't have a chance to respond because he used his vampire speed to come up behind me and place a black cloth over my whole face. I choked for air as I sunk to the ground, the drugs overpowering my weak system. I struggled and fought against the iron grip that held me in place, but my attempts were useless.

_Fight, damn it, fight! Fight for your family, fight for the world. You have come way too far, don't give up now_, a voice in the back of my head screamed at me repeatedly. I fought and fought, managing to stay conscious for a few more moments.

I knew exactly what was going to happen to me and that's what terrified me the most. I _would_ rather be dead.

"Damn it, it's not working. _He_ didn't put in a strong enough dose," the male said after his futile attempts to get me unconscious.The female came out of nowhere, walked over to me and kneeled down beside where I was being held captive.

"So weak and helpless, it almost makes me feel bad," the female said thoughtfully, but I knew it was only a lie.

"Fuck you," I managed to spit out.

She drew back her fist and I prepared myself mentally for the blow.

"Nighty, night bitch," and she punched my face, laughing as I cried out in pain.

That laughed echoed throughout my head forever as the darkness engulfed me, hopefully for the last time…


	2. Chapter 1

So sorry about not updating! I know you are going to kill me, but I was grounded as usual. Haha, well here is your chapter, I hope you enjoy. I have chapter 2 written and it will be posted very soon. There will be a question at the bottom like I did with my other story **Against my Future**, so leave your answer in a review, anynomous or signed in, I don't care. Please review, I like to know what my readersthink. Thanks so much for reading, I love ya guys!!  
Lots of hugs,

-Aeieo

**Chapter 1**

Dreams swirled with memories of my past, as for now it seemed everything was just discombobulated at the moment. But who was me? I felt so confused, up until everything came flashing back, the horror of it all. Alexandra… Hm that sounded right. Now that everything was cleared up, a few things remained muggy. It just hurt to think though, and sadly I knew that I would face it all soon, way too soon.

I felt like I was being carried, the rhythmic pattern of two people's footsteps, one moving me with every movement they made. I did not dare to open my eyes to see who my kidnapper was, fore the boreal, muscular arms gave me an idea. I was petrified at the fact that I was being held in the arms of a vampire, and I tried to keep up that normal, shallow breathing you have when you are sleeping. And that was very hard, considering the fact I was on the edge of hyperventilating.

Even though I had been hiding away in the dark recesses of my mind, I could not ignore the throbbing in my arm and eye. Both injuries were caused by the bloodsuckers, and trust me the pain was unbearable. It was just like being hit by a large piece of granite. Anger boiled inside of me. And my natural instinct was to clench my fists, but luckily, I managed to fight the feeling.

A door opened and shut quietly, as if they were actually going to awake me. I mean really, they freakin' knocked me unconscious! I was laid down on a bed, well I'm pretty sure that's what it was. The cold arms were gone, and I shivered automatically.

I heard another pair of footsteps, and they seemed to quicken as they grew nearer to me.

I could feel the cold presence right beside me, and my mind was screaming at me to jump and run.

A frigid finger traced the bruise I knew covered my left eye, and I whimpered and cringed away from it. The hand moved down to my arm, and the vampire moved it ever so slightly and I cried out. God, I hoped he believed I was unconscious. The hand moved away and the footsteps retreated further away.

"Sorry 'bout the damaged property," I heard the snide female's voice. Property? What the hell?

"Yeah, well she wasn't exactly the easiest thing to capture," the male from last nights voice came.

"I am going to kill you two," came a new voice, a deep, velvety, perfect voice that almost sounded like a growl.

"Over a mere mortal?" the female sneered. I heard something slam into the wall. I decided it might be a good time to wake up before I would have to wake up to blood and what not.

I sat up slowly, due to the fact that I could only use one arm, then finally I opened my eyes to take in the scene before me. The male and female vampire were being held in the against the wall by their throats, by this other vampire that I had never seen. The male from last night had his eyes locked on me, and the other male must have noticed, fore he glanced over his shoulder, spotting me. He immediately dropped his hands from their necks, allowing them freedom.

I had caught a mere glimpse of his eyes and they just absolutely terrified me. They were literally dancing in flames of fury, the intensity immense enough to kill me with a single look.

"Caspar, Zeda, I will deal with you two later," the furious vampire said, adding in a few words that I could not make out, before shoving them out. He slammed the door behind them, causing me to jump.

He started to walk towards me, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the terror plastered across my face. I had pushed myself flat against the headboard and into the far corner of the bed, it was the farthest away from him, but the bed was pushed against the wall, making me trapped, again.

"Alexandra, there is no need to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you," he said gently, his eyes immediately softening. I froze; how in the hell did he know my name?

He took another step towards me.

"Stay away from me y-you… monster," I cried out, a few tears managing to escape my eyes. It worked though, he stopped moving, but looked directly into my eyes. The fire in his eyes had subsided, now replaced with… pity almost. I defiantly did not want pity from a bloodsucker.

"Alexandra please don't be afraid of me," he said pleadingly. Yeah, like I would _ever_ trust him.

"How do you know my name?" I screamed.

"I've always known it," he responded calmly and I grew even more fearful, if that was possible. Sobs racked throughout my body, and I pulled my knees up to my chest, and buried my face. I just wanted to disappear forever, an escape from reality, an escape from this dark abyss that I considered my life.

I knew I was going to be turned into a slave, a blood slave at that, or killed if I resisted. Like my mother and father. I shuddered at the memory. But this was the life for all of mankind, so why be different? Heck, I would rather be different any day and keep on living the dangerous life I had before, than live the life ahead of me. It paid to be different.

I realized that I stopped crying, and I wiped away those few remaining tears lingering on my face with my hand, then looked up.

The vampire was staring at me with an intense curiosity. He was sitting on the edge of the queen sized bed, directly below me, which was only a few feet away. For me personally, that was way too close.

I did get a better look at him though. Of course, like any other vampire, he had the complete perfection, beauty to die for, very muscular- well let's just say perfect to sum it up. He was about 25 maybe, but was probably hundreds of years older at that. This vampire had snowy whit hair, with piercing, midnight black eyes, that flickered in the dim light.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, concerned. I'm sure he was…

"Who are you?" I asked in a whisper, my voice quivering as I spoke. I completely ignored his last question.

"Oh, excuse me, I am Ryder Lucien." Ryder said apologetically with a soft smile that I did not return.

"What's going to happen to me?" I asked so softly, a vampire would even have to strain to hear it. I wasn't really sure if I was questioning myself or him.

The smile was completely gone off his face and he searched for an answer. My heart just sank deeper in my chest. I mean really, it couldn't be good news. I'm a pessimist, I know.

"Well… uh… why don't we talk about that over dinner?" he said, and I cringed. I was going to die tonight. Apparently _I _was the dinner. He noticed my reaction and immediately spoke up.

"No, not like that! I mean a normal, human food," Ryder said in a rush. Lies, all lies. You can't trust a vampire, all they do is lie. Lie to get their way. I did not trust him, nor would I ever.

He stood up from the bed, motioning for me to stay put, and he got up and left the room. I didn't even bother to get up, because I knew the door was locked. I knew their cruel tricks and the cat and mouse games the played with their prey. I knew there was absolutely no point in trying to escape, number 1, it is impossible to outrun a vampire, and if I did, I would be hunted down one way or another.

I stared at myself in the mirror on the dresser, right in front of the bed. Just as I had predicted, my left eye was a strange shade of purple, and swollen up. I let my slightly red frizzed bangs fall onto my face, just enough to cover my eye and most of the bruise. My clothes were slightly muddy, from last night's adventure. If only last night _had_gone right. Then Brydson and I _would _be together, safe. But I had made the right decision, right? I let Brydson get away unharmed, me the sacrifice. Somewhere deep inside of me, I had known that those vampires were there for me last night. My heart absolutely ached for him though, but my thoughts were interrupted by the door clicking unlocked and being opened. Ryder walked in with a sling in his hands, and he approached me with it.

Ryder held out his hand and I hesitated to take it. Hell, I was going to die anyway, so why did it matter? I took his hand, trying to ignore the cold jolt that went through my body and the goose bumps that crept up my arms. He could not see because I was wearing long sleeves.

Now that I was on my feet, and was way too close to him, I quickly pulled my hand away. He moved behind me slowly, careful not to surprise me or something, and placed the sling on my shoulder, then came in front of me and placed my arm in it. I winced when he moved my arm, and bit my lip to keep from crying out in pain.

"Thanks," I mumbled quietly. I wondered why he even cared if my arm was broken or not. Blood tastes the same either way, I suppose.

"I'm sorry about that," Ryder apologized with a sincere look, that really did look real. I did not respond.

Ryder motioned for me to follow and I tried to filter the thoughts flowing through my head. Death awaits me, I guess…

Ryder led me out of the room and down the right of the hallway, then we took a left and kept on going straight. I was taking mental notes the whole time. The hallways were very dark, the lights dim, like in the bedroom, and spaced out.

Ryder stopped suddenly, using one arm to push me behind him. He obscured my view slightly, and I remained confused. There was nobody in the hall, it was completely deserted. Ryder wasn't breathing, and the muscles were strained in his neck. Now I was just terrified.

"Don't talk to them. Don't move. Don't fight unless necessary." Ryder warned. I shrank back further behind him, clutching his shirt subconsciously. I wasn't exactly all brave and confident without a weapon…

Two male vampires appeared out of nowhere, right in front of Ryder. They seemed slightly larger than Ryder, definitely scarier. They wore dark crimson robes, their faces concealed by the shadows of their hoods. I felt like an ant up next to a human, or something along those lines.

"Looks like Ryder has a new pet," the vampire to his right said.

"Go away Raed." Ryder growled protectively.

The one that had not spoken yet was now right beside me. He reached out and moved the piece of hair out of my face, and tucked it behind my ear. He ran the back of his freezing hand over the bruised side of my face. I cried out when he skimmed his hand over my bruise, and he smiled. My eyes widened and he removed his hand. Ryder growled again.

"A beautiful pet at that. Too bad it's damaged…" the man said that had just touched my face.

"Leave her alone," Ryder warned, and they both laughed, causing me to jump. My grip tightened on his shirt.

"How much do you want for it?" Raed asked. It? What was I an animal?

"_She_ is not for sale." Ryder stated. Ryder grabbed my good arm and pulled me to his side.

Ryder started to walk, but could only get a few paces before Raed appeared in front of us.

"Wrong answer." Raed said. "Now how much do you want for it?"

The other male vampire was now behind me, his hands resting on either side of my shoulders. I shrank further into Ryder.

"How much will you pay?" Ryder asked, sounding very business like. My heart quit beating.

Ryder wouldn't sell me… would he?

Okay now that you are done reading answer a few questions about what you think maybe should happen next, or later on in the chapters;

1. Alexandra should try to kill herself but Ryder will save her?

2. Ryder goes hunting, Alexandra tries to escape?

3. Ryder takes her blood?

That's all I could think of, but if you peoples have any more ideas, put in a reveiw, and tell if you like these also. Please reveiw and tell me what ya think, thanks so much!

Press

t

h

e

button

p

l

e

a

s

e

and thank

y

o

u

!! :D


	3. Chapter 2

Sorry about not updating. Got grounded again, but I'm safe now haha. Something really unexpected happens in this chapter, so read and find out. Also I would greatly appreciate it if people would review, because I need to know what you think and if I should actually keep writing the story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time, I love you guys!

-Aeieo

PS: I'm changing the summary because it just doesn't match. If you have any ideas for the summary please submit your idea in a review thanks!

**Chapter 2**

"Three thousand," the man in front of me offered.

"No," Ryder replied.

"Three thousand, five hundred. That is as high as I am going because it's damaged." The man said firmly. I closed my eyes and put my head down, so no one could see the clear diamonds running down my face.

"Unless you have all the money in the world, then you we will talk. Until then, you will not be getting _her_," Ryder said evenly and I let out o shaky breath. As much as I disliked Ryder, I would much rather be with him than those two. "Now if you don't mind, I have places to go, so if you could just move-"

Ryder was slammed into the wall and Raed held me in a stone grasp that I could not escape no matter how much I struggled. He bent his head to the crook of my neck and I tried my hardest to find a way out.

"You smell appetizing," he purred and I tried to kick him in the place where… let's just say guys don't want to be kicked. It did not affect him at all, he merely laughed at my attempts. Raed revealed his fangs, and grazed over the skin on my neck.

"No!" I cried out. Ryder looked up from where he was being pinned to the ground by the other vampire. He threw the vampire off of him and through the wall, into another room. Ryder was beside me in less than a second, tackling Raed to the ground. I backed into the wall, my eyes locked on the unmoving vampire in the room in front of me. He couldn't be dead because I knew that it took way more than that to kill a vampire.

Suddenly I was swept off my feet and thrown onto someone'/s back and they started running. Everything was a blur, so I buried my face in the snowy white hair. I wrapped my good arm around his neck, clinging to him. I couldn't seem to move the lower part of my body, I was just paralyzed. I tried to take in a few deep breaths, but I couldn't because I was crying. I was sick of always being strong, and I knew it didn't matter anymore because I knew there was no possible way I was going to escape this place alive and uninjured.

Ryder stopped moving and I reluctantly looked up. I drew my arm from around his neck and let my feet touch the ground silently. We were in another bedroom, that was much larger than the other. The walls were a strange shade of grey, the furniture black. Perfect to match my mood, I can say. Ryder shut and locked the door and I froze. What was going to happen next?

Ryder walked over to me slowly, making sure I wasn't going to run or back away. He brought his hand up to my face and tilted my chin upward. I flinched away, slightly. My tears fell straight into his hand, and he gently wiped them away with an icy finger. It sent chills down my spine and he gave me a soft smile. Why was a bloodsucker showing any form of affection towards a human of all things?

I moved away from his hand and sank to the ground, my back against the bed. Ryder was right beside me, and he placed his arm around me comfortingly. This only made me more upset though. He quickly removed it.

"Look I know that you are scared of me, but you don't need to be. I'm not going to hurt you, nor is anyone else." Ryder said softly. I don't think that scared even began to cover what I was feeling.

I gained a boost of confidence and spoke up.

"How can you expect me not to be afraid? All you are going to do is kill me! Wouldn't you be afraid if you knew you were going to die?" I said, staring deep into those endless black pits.

"Kill you? Kill you! Damn it Alexandra, if I was going to kill you, then I already would have." He said angrily, now towering over me, the fire ignited once more.

"Then what are you going to do with me?" I whispered. He didn't respond, just stopped pacing and kneeled down in front of me. Ryder ran his hand over my face, sending chills throughout my body as his eyes softened. I clenched my jaw and tried to keep my breathing steady.

"I'm not totally sure yet Alexandra." Ryder said truthfully.

I brought my hand up to my neck and pushed all the hair away, then tilted my head to the left. I then leaned forward to Ryder.

"What are you doing?" Ryder asked incredulously, trying to push me away gently.

"Well if I have to be turned into blood slave or whatever in the hell you call it, then I would rather be dead. I don't break my promises," I stated boldly, and thinking of Brydson made moisture in my eyes.

"I refuse, even though you do smell wonderful… and I never said you were going to be a slave!" Ryder said, pinching the bridge of his nose. I let my hair fall down onto my neck and leaned back.

"Why does it matter whether I'm dead or not?" I screamed. I was tired of all this beating around the bush crap, and all I really wanted to do was go "home" to Brydson.

"It just does alright? I don't feel like explaining everything right now. Tomorrow, I promise," Ryder said, sounding unsure of himself.

"If I'm even alive by morning," I muttered sarcastically, but it could seriously be true…

"Would you stop saying that! Not me or anyone else is going to hurt you." Ryder growled and I sank back into the bed.

"It's kind of hard not to be. Knowing that at any minute, I could simply be killed with the flick of a hand. And I am powerless, weak, whatever you want to call it, compared to you. You wouldn't know what _that_ would be like," I snarled back. I hated being scared and impotent, but hey I am only nineteen, so give me a break.

"Look I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened last night. I'm sorry for everything that happened today. I'm sorry that you are terrified of me. I'm sorry that I'm eternally damned," Ryder yelled, standing up, and breathing hard. I was trembling in fear, he in fury.

"But I am not sorry for bringing you here. I will never be," Ryder said, a little bit more calm. He held out his hand and when I did not take it, he grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"Wha-" I was cut off by Ryder jerking my chin up forcefully, maling me gaze unwontedly, into his eyes. I knew the fear and confusion could be clearly shown in my eyes.

The most unexpected thing happened though. I mean/ I was sure he was going to kill me, but this was much worse.

Ryder leaned in and kissed me, full on the lips. The cold jolted me, making my knees go weak, and Ryder held me up by waist. I was running out of oxygen quickly, now limp in his arms, but he continued. I was crying uncontrollably, the salt taste in both of our mouths. I gave up fighting; it was useless.

Finally he pulled away, a confident smile on his face as I gasped for air. Ryder still held me, and he placed me gently on the bed and pulled the covers up. My tears were staining the pillow case, but I was so weak and lethargic I didn't care. It was as if he had sucked the life out of me.

Ryder leaned down and kissed me softly on the forehead. The chill tingled on my lips.

"Sleep well. I will be back shortly, so do not try anything. I love you Alexandra." He whispered in my ear, then walked out the door, locking and bolting it behind him.

I curled up in a tight ball, crying. I was right all along; Ryder was no better than the rest of the bloodsuckers. But why did he kiss me and tell me he loved me? That was like the number one immortal rule; mortal and immortal relationships were strictly forbidden, unless the immortal is going to turn the mortal into an immortal, then thou should have permission. Then what if he was going to turn me? I shuddered and cried even more. Why couldn't he have just killed me?

"I'm sorry Brydson. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I broke our promise. I love you and don't deserve you. I'm sorry." I whispered between sobs, and I kept repeating it over and over again.

I fell into a fitful sleep, full of dark dreams that seemed to be parts of my past and future. Brydson's face popped up everywhere, his eyes hurt and unforgiving. I kept on crying.

* * *

LISTEN UP! If you have any suggestions for what you want to see happen in the future of this story, PLEASE tell me. It makes the story better if everyone puts in their ideas. Even if you think it's really weird, go ahead and submit it please. Also please REVIEW, I will update alot quicker if you review!! Thanks so much guys!!  
-Aeieo


	4. Chapter 3

So sorry for the wait!! You can guess why I didn't update, I doubt I even need to tell you. This chapter was a lot longer, but I decided to divide it up, so sorry about that also. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing, I love you guys and really appreciate it. I will update really soon, because a lot of things happen in the next chapter. And this first part is a dream if you are wondering. Please **Read and Review**! Thanks again!  
Love,

-Aeieo

**Chapter 3**

"_How could you have betrayed me?" Brydson asked me. "You broke our promise…"_

"_I'm sorry Brydson. I was just so scared… I thought I was never going to see you again. I thought I was going to die. There was no way to escape," I whispered, starting to cry again._

"_You broke our promise." Brydson said again with no emotion, this time turning away from me. _

"_Please don't leave me." I begged, knowing my world would be gone without him in it, as would my soul. I myself would be nothing._

_He took a step away, then glance over his shoulder, just as I was sinking to the ground, my tears blurring my vision of Brydson's form. He turned his head away, and disappeared forever, taking my heart with him._

"_I love you Brydson," I managed to whisper, even though he could never hear me._

_I fell into the darkness, a place where my tears never fell, and cries never heard._

I awoke, drenched in sweat, crying harder than ever, and it felt as if my heart was trying to dislodge itself from my chest. It was painful, a true heartache, the absolute worst pain in the world. Every heartbeat was torture, me squeezing my arms tighter around my chest, trying to numb the pain.

Without a single doubt, I would definitely have to tell Brydson about this one. It was pitch black, dark, but I knew my way around this place. I went to stand up, tucking my hair behind my ear.

I ran into something rock hard. What could that be? I always kept my room locked…

I reached up to touch their face. It was marble smooth, and icy. Realization came down hard on me. I gulped and sat back down on the edge of the bed. The figure moved slightly, and sunlight poured into the room, causing us both to flinch.

"Who is Brydson?" Ryder asked, approaching me. I was not sure whether he was angry or what, fore his face held no expression readable. I was hesitant to answer; I did not want him to know about Brydson.

"No one." I answered quickly, blotting my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt.

"You are lying." Ryder said, stopping a foot away from me. I did not answer, because I truthfully did not have anything to tell Ryder.

"Answer the damned question Alexandra." Ryder yelled and I shrank backwards, fearful of his temper. I did not understand why he was mad about Brydson. And how did he even know of his existence?

"How do you know about him?" It hurt me to say his name aloud. Despite being sweaty, I was now chilled to the bone, shivering as I awaited his answer.

"You talk, cry, and scream in your sleep. I know of everything you said and I felt your pain. In every single dream, or nightmare, it was centered around one person- Brydson. Now answer my question." Ryder said evenly, seeming to be calmer.

"It's my brother." I lied. Please believe me, please believe me, I chanted in my head.

He did not respond, just started pacing. I did not dare look up. He stopped pacing and came over to me, taking his hand and tilting my head up so I was forced to look at him. I blinked back my tears, trying to stay strong for my own sake and survival.

"Tell me the truth." He said, pausing briefly between each word. I gulped yet again. His grip tightened on my face, causing me to cry out.

"Please stop, you're hurting me," I managed to whisper, and he immediately let go.

"I can use much more forceful measures Alexandra. Tell me who he is." He said. Should I rat out someone dearly to me for my own sake of survival? But if he used forceful measures, he would eventually get it out of me anyway…

"My boyfriend." I whispered, my eyes averting his.

"Does he have brown hair, blue eyes, and an odd scar on the back of his neck?" Ryder asked with a small smile forming. My eyes widened in shock. What if they had caught him. Oh god, it would be all my fault. They could have gotten his scent off of me and tracked him. Oh no, oh no. But if he was here, I might get to see him. Unless he had been killed. He would not had given in to slavery…

"Alexandra? Alexandra?" Ryder asked, drawing me out of my thoughts. He was now sitting beside me on the bed, staring at me.

"Does that description fit this Brydson of yours?" Ryder asked, the smile gone. I nodded, crying silently. He knew all about Brydson, without getting the information from me.

"Do you love him?" he asked.

"Yes," I whispered. Then he chuckled and I stiffened. I thought of the worse possibilities that could have happened to him, many of them involving Ryder killing Brydson, or feeding off of him.

"I'm sure he really loves you." Ryder smirked.

"What do you mean by that?" I cried out defensively.

"Don't you understand Alexandra? Brydson betrayed you." He said.

"I don't understand." I whispered, looking up at him with hurt eyes. He took my hand into his. I tried to remove it, but he held it firmly.

"Brydson was one of my slaves. I sent him after you to keep and eye on you for these last few years. He knew about everything and kept it a secret from you. I had to make sure nothing happened to you. The scar on his neck is a mark I give to all my slaves. But he wasn't supposed to fall in love with you," Ryder informed me, his eyebrows furrowed together, making him look angry.

I was just so confused, and really and truly the events all fell into place. Brydson never really did talk about his past much. But he really did love me… or was it all part of the act? He was my world and he had destroyed that. I was literally having an emotional breakdown. It was just too much for me to handle at the time, and after everything I had been through in the last three days had just broken me. I felt like blacking out, and I started to fall forward, until stone arms caught me.

Ryder pulled me against him, and I struggled for a few moments before giving up completely. I sobbed quietly against his chest.

"Why can't I just wake up?" I mumbled, accidentally aloud.

"Sweetie you're not asleep." Ryder said softly. Sweetie? What was going on?

"I should have waited a little longer before telling you all that. I'm sorry Alexandra." He apologized. More affection. Talk about being confused.

"Are you lying to me?" I asked, still in a daze.

"No Alexandra, everything I told you was the complete truth." He said and I cried harder. He stroked my hair and I cowered away from it, but he still did it.


	5. Chapter 4

Haha, I know I haven't updated in a long while, but I am now, so be happy! I would like to thank EVERYONE who reviews. I love you guys in a non creepy way, and really appreciate it. **Warning:** There is attempted suicide scene in this chapter. But it's really not that bad, trust me. Could everyone pretty please review? You have no idea how happy that would make me!

Love ya guys (non -creepy way) :D,

-Aeieo

**4 DAYS UNTIL BREAKING DAWN! I REALLY FELT THE NEED TO SAY THAT! HAHA.**

**Also if you haven't already, check out my other story, Against My Future!!**

**Chapter 4**

"Are you going to be okay?" Ryder asked me, really and truly concerned. I nodded my head slowly, and pulled myself upright, wiping away the tears. I knew I was lying to myself though; I don't think I will ever be okay.

"I'll get a servant to bring you some better clothes so you can freshen up," Ryder said, motioning his hand over to the bathroom. He stood up, then turned to me and helped me stand up, making sure I was stable before letting go.

"I'll be right back," Ryder whispered, and kissed the top of my forehead before leaving the room. I quickly wiped off my forehead then went over to the bathroom. The spot where his lips had touched mine tingled, giving off a weird sensation. I shook it off.

Shutting the door behind me, I scanned my surroundings. There was no other door in the room, only a cabinet, sink, and large tub. The walls were a crimson red, the floors black tiled. Everything fit the perfect description of an old Hollywood vampire's home. Ironic.

I walked to the tub, turning the water almost all the way to hot. I grabbed a towel and washcloth, then stripped down and sank into the warm water. I relaxed immediately; the warmth soothing to my many cuts and bruises. I washed my hair with one hand, using a wonderful smelling shampoo, which was not exactly the easiest thing to do.

The door opened once, an arm laying a bundle of clothing down beside the sink.

"Thanks," I muttered quietly, but the door was already closed. I finished washing everything else, and finally stood up, letting the tub drain. I dried myself off, then wrapped the towel around my hair. I picked up the clothes they had provided.

It was a simple black, babydoll dress, slightly above knee length. Along with it were a pair of black slippers, and some undergarments. I got dressed, trying not to let my thoughts wander. I slipped on the shoes, then carefully put the sling back on my arm. I took off the towel, letting my red hair fall below my shoulder, covering most of my neck. I stared at myself in the mirror, just now noticing that I was crying. But that's when I saw it.

Lying in the open cabinet behind me, was a razor, an older type used for shaving back in the day. An idea came to mind, but I wasn't sure I was able to do it.

But why not? It's not like I have anything to live for… Brydson was my world and that was taken away from me. My heart was broken and I felt like dying anyways. Dying would be better any day than this pain that was torturing me. At least if I did die, I would not have to be here. But what had happened to my standards? I really didn't care about those right now though. I had given those up a two days ago when it all started. All I wanted was for the pain to go away- forever.

I picked up the razor, examining it in my hands. It would definitely be sharp enough. I brought it to my wrist, then moved it away. I didn't want a painful death. I just wanted it quick and easy. I brought it closer to my neck. I could make a swipe into my main artery and pretty much be dead instantly. My tears fell into my hand. It was really sad and pathetic that my life had come to this. Of course, I really didn't have a life now; everyone I loved or loved me (or at least pretended to), was gone.

I had barley broken skin, when the door burst open and a murderous looking Ryder ran in. He snatched the razor away from me, throwing it behind him, and spun around to face me.

"What do you think you were doing?" Ryder roared. I shrank back, my hand gripping the counter. I did not answer. Ryder grabbed a towel, wet it, then pressed it against the small cut I had made. It stung like hell, but I bit my lip in order to keep in the whimper that was desperate to escape. Why did it seem that fate always found a way to interfere with my life?

"Hold it there," he snapped, and I brought my trembling hand up to my neck. Ryder searched the cabinet for a few seconds before turning around with a band aid in his hand. He removed the towel from my grasp and gently placed the band aid over the cut. Ryder wasn't even breathing, and his face held a blank expression. I knew though, that inside, he was furious, his eyes giving away his soul. I was petrified now for two reasons; one, what he would do to me, and two, what if he was drawn to my blood?

He paced for a few seconds across the small space, while I tried to quiet down my sobs. In the blink of an eye, Ryder was in my face, his body pressing mine against the granite counter. His hands were gripping the counter also, one right beside mine. There was absolutely no possible way out, and I wouldn't get very far anyways. I kept my eyes closed and let my damp hair fall down, to at least cover most of my neck.

I noticed that he was breathing again, and it was calm and even, unlike mine which was shaky. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next.

"Alexandra," he said softly, and I didn't dare look up, nor answer.

"Alexandra, I just want to know why." Ryder said, and only then did I look up. He looked really hurt, his black eyes gazing down upon me. I wasn't sure what to say, and I couldn't understand why _he_ was sad. It wasn't exactly the reaction I had thought.

"Please tell me," Ryder asked again. I had a feeling that he was not going to let me go until I answered. I drew in a half breath, unable to breathe deeply. I quickly explained my reasons in a whisper, too scared to hear my own voice or even look at him. I let out a small sob right after I finished. The silence pierced through me and I was afraid of his reply.

"Don't you understand Alexandra?" Ryder asked me. I didn't respond. He leaned back until his face was level with mine. I turned my head to the side slightly, just enough so I wouldn't have to feel his cool breath.

"Look at me." He commanded and when I didn't he jerked my chin up roughly. I looked up at him through my tearstained eyelashes. He placed his hands on my shoulders.

"I love you Alexandra. And that's all that matters. You aren't alone in this world. I am here for you, I was before, and always will be. Promise me that you will never try that, or anything else that harms you, ever again?" Ryder asked me seriously.

"Promise," I whispered. I was so embarrassed, sad, confused, and ashamed all at the same time that my emotions were radiating off me.

"Good," Ryder said, satisfied. He gave me a soft kiss on my lips then enveloped me into a hug. He bent his head so his mouth was right beside my ear. I flinched.

"You have no idea how relieved I am that you're safe. If something would have happened to you, I'm not sure what I would have done…" he said quietly and this left me shocked. I think he was actually telling the truth though, and that's what confused me even more.

He released me, then gently kissed away the few tears remaining on my face. I froze from the coldness of his lips. He pulled away seconds later, eyeing me curiously. I averted my gaze to the ground yet again. I wasn't really crying anymore, my sobs subsided to a mere sniffle. I wiped at my eyes and blinked a couple of times until I could see clearly again.

"Are you ready?" Ryder asked me, and I looked up with a confused expression.

"We're going to dinner." Ryder stated.

"What time is it?" I asked quietly, confused.

"6:30 pm. You were asleep for a good while," he informed me. My mouth formed an o shape, then retreated my gaze back to the ground.

He walked out of the bathroom and followed right behind him. He stopped right when we reached the door and turned to me.

"I'm going to have to carry you, just in case." Ryder said and took a step closer to me. I didn't really have a choice now, I wouldn't be able to escape. And what did he mean by "just in case"? I did not like the idea of him carrying me or even being that close to me, on other terms.

He scooped me up bridal style and headed out the door. I wrapped my arms around his neck for support, terrified of falling. He then started running at extreme speeds, so I could not make out anything we were going past. Maybe he just didn't want me to know my way around here…

I don't think we were even in a building anymore, it looked like we were outside, green a blur amongst the other colors flying past us. I turned my head away and into Ryder's chest, being careful not to get motion sickness.

A few minutes later we stopped moving, and I detached myself from him as he lowered me to the ground. He kept one arm firmly around my waist, for what reason, I don't know. I shrank away, but he only pulled me closer. A silent whimper protruded from my lips.

We were standing in front of a building, a restaurant to be exact. You could tell it was run by vampires, the emblem above the door giving it away. Technically, everything was run by vampires, but they still had to have money. "The Royal Blooded", or whatever they may be called, were above all other vampires, sort of like a kingdom, or government. And so they control the world, the ultimate power that left humans as slaves. **(A/n- What a heartwarming story, isn't it? Now go back to reading. :D) **Their identities have been kept a secret for all these years, so not even slaves working for one of them knew. Some vampires still felt the need to run the business themselves, without the help of slaves. Of course though, there were probably slaves behind closed doors…

"Alexandra, do not make any eye contact with anyone. We shouldn't run into any trouble here, but I can't be too sure. Only answer if absolutely necessary. Got it?" Ryder asked, and I nodded my head.

He hugged me closer to him, kissed me on the forehead, then went into the restaurant, entering a world I had never been exposed to.

* * *

I know, my author notes are longer than my chapters, but I don't want the chapters to be too long. Anyways, it comes down to this descion-

A Ryder or Brydson love story? Please vote in a review! Thanks so much!


	6. Chapter 5

HIYA EVERYBODY! Hahaha, thanks so much for reviewing last time, I love you guys!! School started, I hate Algebra 1, and that's pretty much it. :D I'm trying to write when I have time, but I get distracted sooo easily and in between school, homework, and dance, I don't have a whole lot of time. Weekends are awesome, and I'm babbling so, READ!! And review if you would! Thanks!

Peace,

-Aeieo

PS: Check out my other story!! Lol, and I'm starting a twlight fanfic, soon so check that one out when it's posted! Thanks!

**Chapter 5**

We entered the building, Ryder almost dragging me. I kept my chin up, trying to keep myself from looking like weak prey. I had to make sure I didn't look like I was arrogant either, knowing from experience that the loved the "feisty" ones.

Night-sky blue colored the walls, black drapes covering the window, blocking all light. Tables were scattered about random over the place, all of them seemingly filled. I glanced up at Ryder, whom was staring at me. I looked away blushing. Blushing?! What the hell was wrong with me? I felt Ryder flinch away slightly, at the rush of blood. I really needed to get a grip on myself…

A brunette haired vampire walked over to us, an oh-so fake smile plastered to her face. Her black skirt was a bit too short, and her shirt showing way too much cleavage. She swayed her hips as she walked over to us, and I could feel Ryder's gaze burning through the side of my head, paying no attention to her.

"Hello Ryder," She said smoothly, placing a hand on his arm. He shrugged it off, acting as if it never happened. And she acted as if I weren't there at all, ignoring me from existence and focusing completely on flirting.

"Hello Cassandra." Ryder greeted in a grave tone, his voice all but friendly.

"What can I do for you, honey?" Cassandra asked in a seductive tone, rubbing up against him. I tried to detach myself from Ryder, but he wrapped his other arm around me, kissing me on the forehead, trying to give Cassandra a hint. For the first time, she looked at me, scowling and glaring. I glanced up at Ryder, whom was starting to get impatient and annoyed as he took a step back backwards, bringing me with him.

"A table would be nice," Ryder snapped. She nodded her head in my direction.

"Fresh meat?" Cassandra asked, eyebrow raised. My head shot up to look up at Ryder, panic clearly showing across my features.

Ryder growled at her, snarling some words that made her roll her eyes. He kissed my temple.

"Always caring for the wrong things," She muttered darkly.

Ryder growled at her again, more and more vampires in the building starting to look over in our direction. I knew they had heard the whole discussion…

"Right this way," Cassandra sighed, starting to walk briskly away, motioning us with the flick of her hand for us to follow. I struggled to keep up with his long strides.

Cassandra walked to the back of the building, going past an open door that made me stop dead in my tracks. The memory came flashing back.

_Brydson rounded around the corner, nodding his head ever so slightly for me to follow. I hesitantly slipped away towards him._

_He turned to me silently, brushing his lips across my cheekbones before grabbing my hand and starting to pull me along._

_We ended up behind a building, a flickering street lamp fifty feet away the only source of light we had. He squeezed my hand comfortingly, a smile flashing across his face._

"_Just wait right here Alex. If I'm not out in five minutes, you take the car and go," Brydson whispered._

"_But-" Brydson cut me off. _

"_No exceptions. You _**will**_ go to the car, and you _**will not **_come after me. Right Alexandra?" He asked, addressing me with my full name for emphasis. I hung my head in defeat, knowing before hand he would win; Brydson could persuade me into anything._

"_I'll be back soon," He said, swiftly sliding into the unlocked door beside me. I peered into the doorway, watching as Brydson's figure retreated into the almost deserted restaurant. I pressed myself flat against the wall after he completely disappeared. I counted the seconds by my rapid heartbeat._

_My breathing grew shallow, my heartbeats somewhat slower as the minutes passed by. I leaned onto my right shoulder, trying to breathe deep. _

_What would I possibly do if something happened to Brydson. My eyes filled with moisture at the mere thought._

_An arm wrapped around my waist and over my mouth. I struggled and attempted to scream, but no sound came out. I realized that the arm was warm and slowly grew limp._

_I turned around and hugged him hard, one of his hands stroking my wild, red hair softly. I always forgot the signals when on a mission, usually that not resulting very well. I slapped myself mentally. _

_Brydson handed over a smaller bag to me and we ran silently to the car three blocks away. We threw the "loot" into the back seat, then Brydson kissed me on the lips. You just never knew if you were going to lose somebody, so you either had to not get close to people, or make the most of every moment you had together._

"Brydson," I mouthed, reaching towards the door.

"Alexandra!" Ryder yelled in a whisper into my ear, tugging on my good arm lightly, drawing me out of the memory. I shuddered, the kiss still feeling as if it were still on my lips.

A male vampire outside the door, glared at Ryder and I, slamming the door making me jump. I took a step back, lowering my arm and running into Ryder. I stumbled, but Ryder's arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me.

Cassandra snorted, rolling her eyes. Ryder glared daggers at her with those piercing black eyes, and fear flashed before her eyes for a few seconds.

"Could we get a table _away_ from here?" Ryder asked sharply, and she gave him a dull look, waving her arm around the restaurant. The whole place was packed, except for the table right beside this door.

He not-so subtly handed her a two hundred dollar bill, and I hid my awe at this.

"Right this way," She said sweetly, leading us to a back room, where no one was currently at. The walls were painted in a crimson color, there were no windows, and only one door. That made me nervous.

Cassandra led us over to the table in the far right corner, isolated from the other tables in the room. It was a two person table, and I sat in the chair closer to the wall, mostly because if people came in, I would be a little farther away from them.

"Someone will assist you in a minute," Cassandra stated, and walked away, but not before winking at Ryder of her shoulder. I shuddered, not only because of her, but because of the scene still replaying in my mind.

"I'm sorry Alexandra," Ryder apologized sincerely, staring at me again. I knew exactly what he was apologizing for and nodded my head slightly, not meeting his eyes. My good arm rested on the table, and I felt his cold hands wrap around mine. I resisted the urge to pull away and averted my gaze to my hands, much better than staring into those eerie black eyes.

"What happened back there?" He asked in a low whisper, loud enough for only me to hear. I closed my eyes, fighting the tears. I pulled back my hand back, resting it in my lap. He left his hands on the table, open palms.

"It was just a memory," I whispered, squeezing my eyes tighter closed. I wish so badly that it weren't one, and that I were living in it at this very moment, and none of this had ever happened. Can't change fate though…

"Brydson?" Ryder guessed, his voice a growl. I didn't respond, nor did I open my eyes. I knew what his assumption was anyways, and that it was true.

A female waiter walked over and only then did I open my eyes, not looking at either of the vampires. She handed Ryder a menu, giving me a strange look before walking away.

"Here," Ryder said in a gruff tone, sliding me the menu. "Order anything."

I looked up with a confused expression, but his mind was elsewhere, and he still seemed angry. I skimmed over the menu, my appetite completely gone. I just felt empty… a missing part of the puzzle piece, seemingly gone-forever.

The female waiter was back again in a flash, tapping her foot impatiently.

"What can I get for you honey?" She asked Ryder. I shrank further back in my chair, and Ryder's gaze flickered to me.

"I'll have whatever she has," He said, motioning his hand to me.

"And what would that be?" She asked me in a dull tone.

"I guess I'll have the spaghetti dish," I said quietly.

"Also two Red Merlot's," Ryder added in before she left. She nodded her head and walked away.

I looked up to find Ryder staring at me curiously, all the anger form previously gone. For once, I didn't look away.

"Ryder!" Someone said from the doorway. I didn't dare turn around, fore I recognized the voice from yesterday. Raed.

* * *

WHADCHA THINK??

REVIEW AND TELL ME! You will get a cyber cookie if you do!! :)

If ya have any ideas also, PM or something! Thanks for reading!!


	7. Chapter 6

**First off, I would like to say thank you so much for staying with me through this story and giving such great reviews. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate that. I apologize for not updating, I don't really have an excuse, except for school and just not having time. I changed the ending, because I was bored with it, and I hope you like how it turns out!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please **_**review**_**!  
Songs: Everlong-FooFighters, My Heart-Paramore**

**-Aeieo**

**PS: My other stories will be updated shortly, if not already. If ya haven't already, read my new Twilight story (will also be updated soon!)! :)**

**Chapter 5**

Ryder bolted out of his chair, and into the doorway to come face to face with Raed, my eyes slowly following them. Raed's eyes locked with mine, causing me to shudder and turn around, trying to control the involuntary tremble in my hands.

I did not hear what they were saying, fore it was far to fast and low for me to comprehend, but I was almost positive that I didn't want to know. Right when I thought things were getting just a tiny bit better, I myself astounded that I could even think those words, things turned to the darker side of life. My attention returned back to Ryder and Raed, whom were approaching the table in which I was sitting at alone.

Ryder motioned for me to stand next to him on the opposite side of the table, and I did so, managing not to cringe when his arm wrapped around my waist. He pulled up another chair beside of his, and Raed sat in the one I was previously in. We sat down, Ryder's hand holding mine firmly.

My eye's met with Ryder's, and he gave me a small look of sympathy at my trembling hands and squeezed them reassuringly. I couldn't help but feel a bit safer of knowing that Raed's friend was not with him, but even to merely glance at his menacing red eyes was enough to make you go running. I drew in a sharp breath.

"Hello _Alexandra_," Raed greeted, saying my name with haste. I nodded my head in response politely, continuing to avert my gaze down at my lap.

"Hurt herself again, I see, eh Ryder?" Raed mused, humor laced in his voice. A scarlet blush crept to my face, causing Raed's head to incline towards my direction, my blood seemingly wafting into his senses. I cringed slightly, removing my hand from Ryder's to cover my cut. I shielded my face with my hair.

Ryder was scowling and giving Raed a complete "go to hell" look. This only made Raed's grin grow wider.

Ryder spoke quickly to Raed, something I couldn't understand with my mere human ears. Raed's grin was wiped off of his face quickly, now replaced with a frown.

Cassandra walked through the door on the spur of the moment, her perfect eyebrow arched in curiosity.

"Is there a problem here boys?" She asked, withdrawing them both from deep conversation. They exchanged glares.

"Business calls." Raed stated, drawing his hood over his head. "Goodbye Alexandra. Goodbye _brother_." He spat, a clipped tone, in which he was clearly disgusted about something. His glowering red eyes traveled very slowly and carefully over my features, causing a growl from Ryder, then walked swiftly from the room.

Those red eyes… They terrified me to know end, sending chills across my whole body when I saw them. Even the past night, they seemed to find a way into my nightmares…

Ryder's hand covered mine, gently withdrawing it away from my wound. His thumb ran across the back of my palm, his jaw still clenched and muscles flexed.

"Your food will be ready in a few more minutes," Cassandra said, walking briskly away, muttering darkly about something.

"Alexandra are you all right?" He asked. I nodded my head meekly, deciding to move back into the chair I was in previously. I drew my hand back as an awkward silence was drawn between us.

"What was I about to ask you?..." Ryder murmured, staring at me. I went to shrug, an un-bearable pain shooting through me. I whimpered, clutching my arm in despair. A pained look came over Ryder's face as he watched.

"Sorry." I muttered, then immediately chastised myself for apologizing to a bloodsucker. Even though I regretted my thoughts towards him, I couldn't help but have a harsh side. It wasn't just my hate towards him personally, maybe it was just the mere pity I felt for him. No, that was wrong. I did not, and would not feel pity for then man- _vampire_.

So maybe it wasn't even pity I felt for him. Maybe it was something that I couldn't even specify at the moment.

Yet it seemed to me, that no matter how much I may have told myself over and over that I did not like Ryder, I did in some way hold a small form of mutual affection for him, even if I didn't show it.

I mean he had indeed saved me multiple times… But technically he was the cause in which the effects he had saved me from. My eyes locked with his, my expression softening.

I'm not sure how I could feel hatred towards Ryder though. He said he had loved me and said he wasn't ever going to sell me into slavery. And if that was the only thing I could count on, then what choice did I have other then to trust him?

"Two spaghetti's, and two Red Merlots." Cassandra snickered, easily maneuvering so she could place the dishes and glasses onto the table without dropping anything. She walked away briskly, moving on to another male who had just walked into the restaurant.

I had completely forgotten my hunger, considering I had not eaten in two days- no three days, because I was way too nervous about meeting Brydson that night…

Then of course it could have possibly been more days, considering however long I had been knocked out. I shuddered, resisting the urge to trace the bruise covering my eye.

"Alexandra?" Ryder drew me out of my thoughts, his eyebrows raised. "Please eat." He instructed, and I realized that I had been engrossed in my thoughts, not a bite of food having been digested. I blushed, picking up a fork and slowly swirling it in the noodles and taking a bite.

It calmed my nerves slightly that he was eating also, even when it wasn't completely necessary for him to do so. Most vampires preferred to get all the nutrients they needed for "living" from blood, then again some like in this restaurant, ate real food.

I stared dumbfounded into the drink before me after I was about halfway through my food. I had already had two glasses from pure thirst, but I had just begun to actually pay attention to it. Something about it just didn't look right. It was too dark… too muddy. I gagged; I knew exactly what she had slipped into this drink, partly from the smirk she wore when she refilled it.

"Ryder…" I breathed. His head snapped up immediately, his eyes locking with mine; it was probably the first time I had actually talked directly to him.

"What's wrong?" His eyes searched my face.

"The d-drink… it has blood in it," I whispered. I had grown so accustomed to the smell over the years, that I could recognize it almost every time. Ryder arched in curiosity, lifting the drink to his lips.

He sighed moments later. "How could you have possibly known that?" Ryder murmured, seemingly to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. I grew slightly angry that he had probably wanted there to be blood in there. Was it supposed to make my blood taste better or something?

I pushed what was left of my food into the center of the table, cradling my head in my good hand. I had completely lost my appetite from that, and I know that if I took one more bite or even looked at food, I would vomit.

"I'm sorry Alex." He whispered, causing me to scoff at his words. Right, like I actually believed he could not have tasted the drink. My eyes widened after a few seconds of revising what he had said, thankfully shielded by hand. No one ever called me that except for a selected few people, even though it was probably a common nickname for the name Alexandra… But still, it just didn't sound right to me when he said it. Even though I did prefer that rather than my real name...

The drink's actual content was getting to me. I had never actually drunk anything with an alcohol substance in it before, so it probably wasn't the smartest thing to have drunk so much of it. Apparently, I didn't have much of an alcohol tolerance.

I shook my head clear of thoughts. Perfect, this is just what he wanted, a moment for me to let my guard down. Oh, but that wouldn't happen. I have- or should have, enough self control to make sure I didn't anything stupid. Or maybe that was why he ordered the drink in the first place...

I jumped as his cold hand ran up my arm. Looking up, I attempted to pull away, but his grip held me otherwise.

"Alex, are you okay?" He eyed me with a worried expression. I forced a fake grin to surface to my face.

"If okay is what you consider about to vomit from drinking blood and a little mixed up from alcohol, then I guess so. Hell, I'm just peachy." I hissed brightly. Ryder's eyes widened at the sudden outburst.

"I'm beginning to think she slipped something else into your drink…" Ryder muttered to himself. I frowned. Maybe he was right. Even three glasses of wine shouldn't have done that… That bitch.

I pushed myself away from the table with my good arm; way to fast actually, falling slightly as Ryder's arms caught me. I cried out when the slightest movement caused the unbearable pain to course through my body.

"What are you trying to do?" He hissed, tightening his grip. I calmly explained in a low voice. Ryder's lips twitched, fighting a smile. I frowned, trying to pull away.

"I need to get you out of here…" He murmured. He kept a tight arm around my waist, almost half carrying me with one arm, my feet barley touching the ground. I stared directly at the ground, trying to ignore the obvious gazes burning into my flesh.

Cassandra appeared in front of us, blocking the exit. I lifted my gaze slightly.

"Leaving so soon Ryder?" Her hand traced his chest daringly, as before, ignoring me. As if I hadn't already felt the urge to vomit, that definitely hadn't helped…

His hand grabbed hers roughly, his eyes deadly. Fear only momentarily flashed before her eyes before replaced with amusement. Besides being a bit drunk, the fear inside of me was growing. He glanced at me, letting go of her.

Deciding not to waste time, he gathered me in his arms and stormed from the restaurant, snickering and whispering floating in the air. I knew he would kill me; it was in my instinct. At this point, I doubt that he would spare me. He was much too angry, and his eyes were changing into a dark red color that faintly resembled Raed's.

The sun had now set completely, only darkness covering the skies. As if things couldn't get any worse, he was now approaching a car. I didn't know what type it was nor anything of that sort, but I did not want go anywhere else with _him_. Every place he had brought me to so far had only brought pain and fear.

I faintly considered if I would be able to ever find my way back to where the rest of the people in which I knew and loved lived in secrecy. But by now they had probably moved locations, which left me stranded with a bloodsucker.

Ryder unlocked the door, placing me roughly into the back seat and buckling the seat belt tightly around me. Silently, he slammed the door, locking it. I wasn't able to see where he was; fore the windows were tinted from both sides, allowing no information. I waited to hear the driver side open, but it never happened. He had left me in this car- alone. I grinned manically.

I searched for a handle on the door, but of course it just happened to be missing. There was nothing on this side of the car to even unlock the door, much less roll down a window. I quickly unbuckled, crawling clumsily into the driver's seat. I searched around again for any possible way to escape. My hand finally rested on a handle. I pulled on it, a small dawn of hope easily crushed when it wouldn't open. I glanced wearily into the passenger seat; absolutely nothing.

I crawled back into the seat I was in previously in, sinking back and allowing the tears to freely roll down my face. What in the hell kind of car was this? My personal death trap?

The door beside of me opened, leading me to stare openmouthed at Ryder. Dark blood dripped from his mouth, his fangs lengthened completely and his eyes a wild red. Ryder's face grew closer and closer to mine, his hands holding me in place. His kisses trailed from the base of my neck up to my jawbone. I trembled, my crying ceased for the moment.

He held my arm at my side, somehow managing to shut the door, keeping me confined with no means of survival. Now I began to panic, trying with my best efforts to clear my head of useless thoughts and focus on getting out of here alive.

I struggled, my only ways of defense my legs. He chuckled, moving his body so all my limbs were locked in place. My eyes pleaded into his.

"Please Ryder. Please don't do this," I begged as his fangs grazed over my skin, breaking it slightly. I sobbed softly as his eyes locked with mine. A small flash of recognition flashed before his eyes momentarily, showing his true side, and not whatever had overcome him. They quickly returned to the crazed look and all hope left me forever.

Ryder's face twisted in agony, seemingly fighting the beast inside. And it seemed that the beast had won. His fangs dripped with venom, and I could only watch in horror as his cold lips pressed against my pulse. I knew this would be the end.

My thoughts from earlier to now have changed dramatically. I did not want death right now, not in this time or situation. This was the nightmare I had always feared; except now there was no waking up. This indeed, was fate.

My vision faltered into a complete grey haziness until finally darkness. So of course, I had done what any damsel in distress would do. I fainted.

* * *

So wha'd ya think!?!? Click the little greenish button below and tell me! Thanks guys lol!

Also do you think this story is progressing nicely, or too rushed? Kind of a weird question, but please answer it to the best of your ability! Thanks! :)


	8. Chapter 7

Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews last chapter. I know I don't update a whole lot, but it's the end of the year, end of grade tests are coming up, and I hardly have free time. Thanks for everyone sticking with me through this, and for the new readers if I have any. I'm working on the Twilight story, and I'm sorry I never updated it, because I'm having a lot of trouble with it. It will be updated as soon as possible. I also realized that Ryder is the name of a moving company, which is sort of weird… Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, and if you don't understand it, review and I'll answer in a PM, or just PM me. Thanks!!!

-Aeieo

PS: Sorry about the 10 pages! =P Oooh and SCHOOL'S OUT!!! Haha.

*****May be updated more than once to fix mistakes, also check out Twilight story on my profile! Thanks!*****

**Chapter 7**

_Beat. Beat. Beat. A light, shallow breath._

Those were the only things I could hear. Even as faint as they were, they made my head erupt in pain continually. I wanted so badly to scream, to move, to die. Nevertheless, I stayed still, suffering silently in the deep recesses of my mind. It was as if I was being held down by something…

I was not sure if I was conscious or asleep; I could not open my eyes to tell. A part of me was screaming that I was in danger and that I needed to wake up. Yet the other part was telling me to just rest. I was not sure which instinct to rely on, afraid that it would be wrong.

I was freezing, despite the many covers lain heavily over me. I almost started to believe I was dead. However, I had always thought that death was not painful, that it was easy and over quickly. Apparently, I was wrong.

I just couldn't be dead though, not after all that had happened… In fact, what _had_ happened?

I attempted to open my eyes, moaning as a sharp pain shot through my head. I tried again, ignoring the lurch in my stomach and the swirled colors flashing relentlessly. So I was not dead, I concluded, propping myself up on my elbows, despite the weary protesting thoughts. My whole body ached with a hollowness that was hard to describe.

Everything was white; the walls, the bed, the sheets, even the curtains. It made my head ache in response.

An IV was in one of my arms on the back of my elbow, the other in my wrist. I winced. Of all things I hated most, needles were definitely one of them. And as my eyes followed the small tubes to the bag, I almost fainted. They had me hooked up to… blood.

I ripped out both IV's, ignoring the streams of blood trailing down both of my arms. The sheets that were once white were now soaked in my own crimson liquid, along with the white gown I was dressed in. I don't know how I had bled that much in such little time. It almost seemed… unreal.

Standing, I ran over to the door, opening it only to come face to face with Raed. A smirk came across his perfect, un-hooded face, causing me to take a step back.

Within a second, he was behind me, his fangs grazing from my jawbone to my clavicle, and holding both my wrists twisted painfully behind my back. I screamed for help, failing miserably.

"Don't fret, little one. There's no one here for you now. There won't be any more pain," Raed whispered, pushing me back down on to the bed and stabbing my arm with an injection that left most my body paralyzed.

"Please. Don't do this. Please," I sobbed, watching as he turned back at the door to look at me with those unmerciful red eyes.

"Good night Alexandra."

I thrashed and screamed as my eyes flew open. Gasping for air, it seemed that I could not get enough to my lungs to steady my frantic heartbeat. I was in yet another room, this one was soft beige, almost comforting to the fear pulsing throughout every fiber of my being.

Throwing back the covers, I checked my wrists thoroughly, yet they were cleared of all flaws and imperfections.

_It was just a dream. Just a dream. Just a nightmare._

What had happened? I did not exactly remember how I had gotten here, however all I could recall the pain and fear, just not what about. Such pain it had been…

I threw my legs over the side of the bed, slowly bringing myself to standing up straight. My legs felt weak and wobbly, as if I were walking for the first time all over again.

I noticed I had been dressed in a long, royal blue nightgown, which trailed all the way down to my bare feet. I walked over to the first door I found in the large room, opening it to reveal a small, rosy-colored bathroom. I stepped inside, taking a long look at myself in the mirror. My fingers, still trembling, ran over my own skin, trying to make sure it was really me.

I was so pale… I almost _looked_ like a vampire. The only thing that kept me sure was the steady throbbing of my pulse. My hair was completely straightened, rather than the curly mess it usually was, and my dark eyes more contrasted now against my skin than before. But something really caught my eye, which made me tug down the nightgown until I could fully see it. It was a… a… tattoo. I tried to scrub it off with my hands and water, but it wouldn't even smudge. My eyes filled with tears. Someone had given me a tattoo, from whatever had happened. The skin was even sore from it.

Somehow I managed to break my gaze away from myself to slowly walk back into the bedroom, and over the window that was heavily covered with drapes. I drew them backwards, to see only a beautiful landscape before me. What was I expecting though? A desolate, destroyed, and war-torn landscape? Probably, if this was vampire-owned land…

But there was nothing out there, no roads, no buildings, and I was at least two stories up. I wouldn't be able to make it, even if I did escape into the heavily wooded mountains. It would be like a maze, one that only the predator knew the way around. That would be absolutely useless. I walked paced only momentarily until my head started to feel slightly dizzy. I ended up sitting down on the floor, back against the door that I had to lead to wherever I was. I was too fearful to open it, yet too curious not to wonder. In some almost childish way, I could almost imagine it being just like my drea-_nightmare_ and opening the door only to find Raed. Maybe it sounded stupid; however I wasn't sure if I wanted to take that chance, or the chance of getting lost. But I didn't want to be alone whether it be in this room or wherever beyond this room may be. I wanted anyone, anyone who could tell me where this mark came from, and where I was. Anyone who could help me remember why I was here and why I could only remember immense pain and nothing. And most of all, anyone who could save me.

It struck me as odd because I could remember everything from the past few days, Ryder, the encounter with Raed, even the "dinner". But what had happened after that? I would have had to been Ryder to do that to me. I _had_ to get out of here.

Gathering up what little courage I had, I stood and opened the door quickly, letting out a soft sigh of relief the hall being deserted, and the door being unlocked. I realized it was a long, door-less, stretch to the end of the hallway, and turning point at the end. Making my feet as light as possible, I was at the end of the hallway in less time than I had though. Fear pulsed through me; I wasn't sure whether to go into the door facing me, or continue down the hallway. I would have to take my chances with the hallway, because a door meant trapped in a room, where as a hallway sometimes meant options. Or on the other hand, freedom.

I began to almost rum, lifting my gown so I wouldn't trip over it. The hallway led to a series of doors and turns, until I was completely lost. I wandered the desolate halls endlessly, panic rising in me until sobs over took my body. I knew tears never helped anything, and I learned that a long time ago. Tears never made my parents come back alive, and tears definitely didn't save the world. Now stumbling along, I somehow ended in front of a single door that I hadn't seen yet. I began to turn away, knowing there would be no point in opening it and revealing its resident. God only knows how could be in there, and what sorts of trouble it could get me into. I figured if I could find a way out, I could live. Of course I hadn't really had much time to think things through, and acting on instinct was probably the best I could do, considering Brydson was always the one with endless game-plans.

Taking my first step away from the door completely, a hand stopped me from going any further with an almost gentle yet powerful touch. I flinched as my frame began to tremble violently at the voice who had simply said my name.

Raed spun me around to face him, grabbing my arm with a brute strength that was almost painful.

"Come along, _dear_." I cried out, attempting to dig my heels into the wooden floor, failing miserably. I ended up being dragged, stumbling along the way.

"Please, let me go. P-Please," I begged, repeating it until I realized it was only a whisper. Raed ignored my requests completely, quickening his pace until I was half-running to keep up with his long strides.

"Where are you taking me?" I had managed to barely find my voice, Yet again, he ignored me, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. My worst fears had come true. Raed was going to kill m.

Raed's grip tightened as he stopped at the top of a large staircase I had not been able to find before. I attempted to pull my arm away, but he threw me a hard look in which made me resort to standing as far away as I possibly could, trembling.

"Ryder, your pet has awoken," Raed said in a low, dull, actually almost bored voice. I shook slightly with relief that Ryder was here, however that still led me back to square one. Ryder had been the one to cause the fear and pain, I was sure of it. I couldn't remember how, or why, and that's what confused me the most. And now, being stuck between a rock and a hard place, or in my case, Ryder and Raed, I wasn't exactly sure which was worst.

Lowering my head instinctively to the sound of approaching footsteps, Raed's grip on my arm loosened slightly. When the footsteps stopped, Raed grip on moved his hand to the small of my back and pushed me forward. I stumbled, grabbing the only thing available- an arm. For only a moment I looked up to meet his eyes before I diverted my gaze. Ryder kept his arm firmly around my waist, one of his hands wrapped over mine.

"Thank you, brother," Ryder said stiffly, yet sincerely in a low mutter. Raed simply nodded before abruptly walking away in a brisk manner. I let out a soft sigh that Raed had finally left, feeling somewhat accomplished that I had managed to avoid his eyes. However the pride left me all too soon as Ryder began to walk, now overcome with a mixture of panic and fear. Not knowing what to do, and having absolutely no way to fight back, I humbly subjected to walking along.

He led me away from the stairwell and down a corridor I don't believe I had been down yet. My bare feet were slightly numb from running on the granite floors. The thick gown seemed to be the only source of warmth in these freezing hallways. Sensing my discomfort, he removed his arm to simply hold my hand.

Questions raced through my mind, however no answers were to be found. What had really happened after I had left dinner? I could only remember the car, yet then it seemed everything went blank. Could it have been possible I had fallen asleep? Even though I hadn't gotten a good nights sleep over… well Brydson and everything else that had happened, it didn't seem likely for me to fall asleep immediately without remembering. Something was really wrong with this whole situation.

I think I must have distracted myself long enough because Ryder was suddenly opening a door and pulling me inside. He let go of my hand, locking the door with a key in which he slipped into his pocket.

"It's not safe for a girl like you to be wandering these halls alone," Ryder murmured with a trace of sarcasm lingering behind his words. I stepped directly out of his path as he began to walk towards the window, leading to a balcony in which he stood. Although not clearly shown in his words, the anger lying hidden beneath revealed itself through his dark eyes. I glanced at the door, wondering if I would be able to escape.

As if reading my thoughts, he locked eyes with mine, daring me to do so. I shrank away, still breathless, and I leaned against the wall for the support I needed. I still felt faint, and not fully strong and the reminders of the memories I could not decipher weren't helping my cause either.

What did Ryder mean by "a girl like me shouldn't be wandering the halls alone"? It's not like I needed protection or help to walk. I was capable and a woman, not a girl… Unless of course this was complete vampire territory, which is a whole other case. Then again, what bloodsucker in their right mind would protect a human against someone like Raed?

And if Raed were here, and Ryder was here, it would be completely filled with vampires. Although these were definitely not the halls I had been in two days ago when we… encountered Raed. In fact, where in the hell was I?

From the bed in the corner, I would have guessed it to be a bedroom. However it seemed to be a study because of the many rows and shelves of books. With Ryder still fuming/brooding quietly on the ledge, I walked as quietly as I possibly could over the bookshelf, facing directly away from him. Glancing over my shoulder nervously, I scanned the books, curiosity eating away at me. To my surprise, most of the books were mythology. My only question was why was a mythological (yet actually proven to be true), creature reading about mythology? That struck me as a bit odd. The other books were medical, and there was only one fiction in which caught my eye. Old, slightly ripped, and rugged, _Pride and Prejudice_ stood on the middle shelf. I looked over my shoulder one more time before standing tiptoe to get the book silently. I figured if I were to de today or whenever Raed or Ryder planned to, I may as well read a book I enjoyed.

I flipped through the novel mindlessly, randomly reading a page.

_"It is particularly necessary for those who never change their opinion to be sure of judging properly at first."_

Perhaps I had misjudged all along. Maybe Ryder wasn't the bad guy, maybe I just had not given him the chance. But why was I even considering this? How on Earth could I trust a vampire? After everything I had been taught for the past 19 years, about never trusting and never even getting remotely close to anyone, why would I choose a bloodsucker? I guess I had broken those rules already though. However there was something in my instinct, my memory that had frightened me deeply, even if I couldn't remember it. Someone had bitten me, and it hurt way worse than any vampire bite should.

"_Pride and Prejudice_? I always sought you more as a non-fiction sort," deep voice mused, taking the book from my hands and putting it back on the shelf. I gasped, spinning around to face Ryder I'm not sure if he was bi-polar or something, but he was definitely freaking my out. All traces of anger were gone, replaced by an almost happy and contempt look. I visibly frowned in confusion, taking a step back against the bookcase to get a couple of inches between us. I didn't know if he was angry, because slaves weren't supposed to read, or even touch their "Master's" stuff without permission.

"Is there something wrong, _cher_?" Ryder rested his palm on my forehead, as if testing my temperature. The touch of his skin to mine brought back the head ache that I had previously managed to push to the back of my mind, came back with full force and more pain than before.

And while that pain coursed through my body, and mainly to the bite marks, something linked immediately from Ryder's touch; he was the one that had bitten me. My knees went weak, and his arms were my only support. I found the small energy left inside me to push him away. He allowed me to do so, moving slowly towards me.

"Alexandra?" His voice was soft, as if he were talking to a small child. Oh god, that was why he brought me here. He wanted to use me as a blood-slave. I trembled violently, knowing there would be no way to fight back from this. So that was why Raed hadn't even attempted to hurt me. It was because Ryder had already marked me as a blood-slave.

Ryder took another step towards me and I matched his.

"Please. Please don't," I choked out, clutching my neck where his fangs had been with my right hand. I took another step backwards, managing to trip over my own feet and landed splayed, lying on the floor. Tears sprang immediately to my eyes but I wouldn't dare let them fall in front of him.

He kneeled beside me, sighing softly. "Sometimes you have to let them fall…" I lifted my gaze slowly to his words. Ryder's hand began to trace the intricate tattoo lying on the small indention of my collarbone. My breathing hitched, and now words seemed to be able to form. In my mind however, I was screaming like the terrified girl I really was.

Ryder's fingers followed to the back of my neck and pressed gently onto where it ended. A little, almost unnoticeable pain seemed to shoot through my head. An image protruded through my vision, the scenery around me gone, only the new, dark dream.

_I was crouched over someone who was unconscious. He body no longer moved nor screamed, and the fear previously shown on her face was replaced by an almost peacefulness. None of that mattered however, only the sweet, addicting blood lingering throughout my mouth. Never in all my years had I tested something so great that had made me lose control of a 'feeding frenzy'. I'm not sure I could ever stop._

_Through a vision enhanced sight from feeding, I opened my eyes to see the girl. In this… _state_… I couldn't recognize her right of hand. It was as if another person was controlling my mind, even though my conscience was screaming at me that this was wrong._

_Her wild-orange hair was spread across the seat, and her delicate features stunning, even in the dark. The human was so pale, so nearly dead. It hadn't really occurred to me until now that in another minute or so, I could kill her. Not that the monster inside of me really cared. _

_It was just too good, too rare to give up. A soft, weak whimper escaped her form, a flash of pain crossing her face before unconsciousness over took her once more._

_"Ryder, stop!" The car door had opened, a strong arm jerking me away from my feast. I snarled at whoever had ripped me out of my car. I stared down at the dangerously pale, orange-haired beauty below me. Realizing with true sorrow and being fully ashamed of my actions, I began to lean back down to her. The ache in my teeth from the sudden blood loss was ignored; the only priority was getting her to live and getting her to safety. Oh god, if something happened to her, I would probably let myself die. I couldn't let anything happen to her. I had waited far too long for her. I was ripped out of these thoughts from the vampire jerking me away from Alexandra. I'll be damned if anyone would try to keep me away from her, I thought as I turned to face-_

A small cry of confusion escaped my lips as the dream faded before my eyes as quickly as it had come, just as Ryder's hand left my neck. He now stood by the door, arms crossed tightly, and his head low.

"You stopped." His head snapped up to stare at me in shock. I sat up slowly, contemplating my thoughts. I suppose he had suspected another reaction considering what he had shown me. The odd feeling of relief flooded through my body. He had stopped. He had controlled himself. He had saved me for whatever reason may have come over him, even when he didn't have to. The vampire that had drawn him away wouldn't have cared if he had continued to bite me. Vampires didn't care about humans. Except for Ryder, apparently.

I slowly stood, approaching him in a manner as if someone of great danger. My feet were light, graceful, never once tripping under his hard gaze.

I gave a small curtsy before reaching up and just hugging his torso lightly.

Ryder's strong arms wrapped around me hesitantly.

"Thank you," I whispered. Pulling me away from him slightly, his dark gaze roamed my face with unanswered questions showing clearly in his eyes through the thick white hair that was almost too long. He cupped my face in the palm of his hand, and I immediately reddened. His lips pulled into a taunt frown, lifting me onto the bed easily and began to pace slowly.

"You shouldn't be the one thanking me," Ryder said, his voice now a growl. "I almost killed you! And you're thanking me?"

He started to pace more quickly now, muttering to himself quietly. I watched him in silence.

"How on Earth, did someone manage to create such a compassionate, beautiful, yet delicate creature such as her? And how could she be mine? This is wrong. This is absolutely wrong." He turned to me. "You should be angry, resentful, and untrusting to a demon such as me! Do you know how long it took for me to grasp the fact that I was killing you? Do you know how much anger I've been holding up inside of me until now? And you dare give me a reaction such as this?"

He stopped pacing suddenly as he caught my terrified face in his hands again, this time sitting _very_ close beside me. I tried to steady my breathing, tried not to flinch, but there was no hiding the fear showing clearly. It wasn't that I was scared of him personally, only when he was angry and out of control. Not that I would be able to fight back either way…

"I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?" He asked, his thumbs tracing my cheekbone lightly. I shivered not responding and he smiled gently, moving his hands down further. My eyes widened as he pulled the nightgown down ever so slightly to look at the tattoo, and then took my hands into his gently.

"Do you know what this mark is Alexandra?" I shook my head, almost terrified of the answer.

"An imprint marking." The breath left my lungs completely, and Ryder brushed the hair from my eyes.

Imprint?... To Ryder?... I gulped, the blood draining from my face completely, probably making me paler than before if possible. I had seen very few female vampires in my life with the markings, and none of them had ever looked the same. It showed the other males that the female was theirs and only theirs. _It's just like the slave markings_, I thought to myself. It angered me, and I jerked my hands away. Ryder flinched awaiting the words or tears he would never see nor hear. Forcing myself to turn away, I stared solemnly out the opened door, past the balcony, and beyond the sun in which seemed to have dipped below the mountains in the distance.

This _exactly_ what I needed in my life right now, I thought sarcastically. As if it wasn't enough that my past world had disappeared, now a whole new set of problems faced with the burden of the world on my shoulders, and this time I wasn't sure if I could handle this on my own without completely falling apart.

But what was I supposed to do now? There was no running away now… And I suppose that's what I ultimately feared in the end. In this world, it doesn't matter where you hide or run- fate always finds you. There was no way to win. No happy ending.

I had run my whole life; whether it be from death or something as complicated as love. I was sick of this life, sick of being scared, and most of all sick of not knowing where my home could be considered.

A single tear rolled down my cheek as I felt a cold finger gently wipe it away before it fell.

Realizing I ultimately in the end had only one option I swallowed my childish fears, and turned to lock eyes with Ryder, showing none of the worry or frightfulness that was making my body tremble. There would be no more running away for me.

* * *

Did you like it?!?! =D

Review and tell me what you think!!!

Thanks for reading, and I'll be working on the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own everything, the idea is not up for redistributing. Respect that and Aeieo won't kill you. LOL, but seriously, my idea, stay away. Hehehe.**

A/N- I'm not a big fan of this chapter I just wrote. I simply don't like it. I don't know if I should re post it differently, or what, but tell me in a review what you think? Thanks! And thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing these past few chapters. I know I take forever to update, but I really try my best. Thanks 3

Chapter 8

What was I supposed to do now? I didn't like not knowing what to expect and having to depend on others for my own future. Trust was my biggest issue. Surviving for so long on your own just hardened a person. For so long I thought I was alone, with no protection, hiding from fears I knew I wouldn't be able to overcome… Until I met Brydson. Everything changed. I found the one reason to try, to exist. He showed me I wasn't the only one who was free. There was a whole organization of people fighting against it… And all those years wasted. It made me sick. But I didn't let my past get the best of me. I caught on to that life quickly and was one of the best people they ever had. Maybe it was all the years of living in hiding that made me so easily endowed to that career. Not that it was actually a career. We didn't get paid for any of the missions whether they were successful or a failure, even though you usually died when it was a failure. No one ever liked to think about that though. For some though, they couldn't catch on though. They resisted. And some people they brought back were so brainwashed they gave themselves back into slavery. Life there was _always _on the edge, and you never knew what was going to happen next. You never could know who was going to be there in the morning or who would return home from a late night mission. I think the only thing that kept us all going was that we could be reassured at the moment that there would always be somebody still with you, close or not close, standing behind you. I know I made the mistake of growing close to anyone there. However it was far too late by the time our relationship advanced. And how I hated that decision looking back onto it now. I should have listened to my conscience, considering the fact that love was only a transfusion of chemicals in your brain giving off a content, pleasurable feeling. Okay, maybe I did think too far into things, but I always had been that way.

Anyways, I was fifteen when he had found me wandering the streets of a deserted town from the better days. He was twenty four with the face of an angel, but by no means had boyish features. He was handsome. _Amazingly_ handsome. And that's only one reason to why I didn't trust him. Someone that looked that good would not have been able to be out on his own and still manage to not be slightly ragged. Which led to my second reason. A guy like him wouldn't be in a town like that.

Bad choice Alex… Just run and don't look back!

_This was a bad decision. I knew that from the beginning, but I wasn't sure where else to go. I wasn't really positive where I was even at and that frightened me. I had only been here for a few hours after stumbling around in the desert for a few days. The whole town reeked of death and decomposition. Must have been a Rebel town…_

_I was slightly dehydrated , but I'm not sure it would be worth the nightmares from whatever lies inside the deserted building. I took a chance though, because if I didn't put my health first, I would go completely downhill which would make everything I had worked so hard to get to a complete waste._

_After about two hours of ravaging through the remains of the building, I found only three water bottles, one of which had already been opened. It was better than nothing and the air here was so humid and hard to breath, I would take whatever I could get. I heard noises the entire time, but I figured it only to be rats or some other animals lingering. But the small scraping noises began to grow louder and I swore they began to sound like footsteps._

It's only your imagination… Stop being so melodramatic…

_It was dark now though and I needed shelter, but I wasn't about to go back into one of those buildings. Then I heard a gun load. _

_I began to run away from the narrow confines of the alley from the opposite way the noise echoed. The footsteps grew closer however, the only building with a still standing structure and sturdy walls was only a few feet away. To my luck, the door wouldn't budge. I cursed softly under my breath before deciding to make a run for it. I had been in more than enough of these situations to know that running was the best policy. Especially when the last of the bullets for my shotgun. _

_It was hard to see where I was going in the darkness, so it was like being in a maze. If it was a vampire I didn't stand a chance in hell, but if it was a human I stood a fair chance… Well unless of course they had a gun. At least with a knife I stood a fair chance of turning it against them. I mean you could always turn a gun against them, but that didn't always work out very well. Counting in the factor that they could be stronger than you, the odds weren't very good. _

_I ran into something. Not something, someone. And I continued to struggle until my breathing grew shallow and frantic, my attempts weakened. The bright side of this situation, as sadistic as it may seem, at least it was a human. And there wasn't a weapon being pressed to my head or a knife pressed to my throat. The downside was that it was a man, and a muscular man at that who wasn't loosening grip at that. He changed positions so I my back was pressed against his chest, but my arms still tightly held behind me. His face was pressed against mine, and I could feel the slight scratch of stubble on his face. _

_"Get off of me! I swear I will scream if you don't let go!" I hissed, trying to throw him off, but he only pressed me tighter against him so I couldn't move my legs in defense._

_"You wouldn't want to do that, sweetheart. Now listen to m-" I abruptly cut him off._

_"No, _you_ listen to _me_." But before I could speak anymore, he locked my wrists together with one hand and covered my mouth with his free one. _

_He chuckled. "Feisty, eh? However, I don't believe you're in much of a position to be giving orders." I turned, and tried to knee him in the place where the sun doesn't shine, but he moved quicker, pinning me against a wall. My arm was twisted painfully and I cried out._

_"Let her go, Vince," Another man was walking towards us. A man with a gun. The man holding me, Vince, let go and I sank to the ground. "Go back with the group."_

_"Not my fault runaway's can't cooperate," Vince mumbled defensively but walked away. The other man began to approach me, but I scooted backwards and matched his steps._

_"I won't hurt you, I promise," He said softly taking another step. My eyes stayed locked on the gun in his hand. He followed my gaze. "See, I'm not going to do anything." He dropped the gun, taking another step, his hands up in surrender._

_"Stay away from me. Please, just forget that I was ever here. I'll do anything!" I begged, my voice hoarse. His face contorted in shock._

_"I'm not owned by anyone, and I definitely do not turn in runaways. Quite the opposite actually," He mused, unaffected by the fact that I was terrified of him._

_"What do you mean?" I whispered. If he wasn't a slave, and he wasn't a slave driver, then what was he?_

_"I'll tell you if you tell me your name and what you're doing here."_

_"I don't trust you," I responded back. He threw me a crooked smile._

_"Most people don't at first, but that's ok. My name's Brydson. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" When I didn't object, he continued. "Are you a runaway?" _

_I shook my head._

_"Then why are you out here?" He asked, taking another step forward. This time I didn't retreat._

_"They killed my parents," I whispered. He nodded in understanding._

_"And why aren't you dead?" Brydson further pressed._

_"They didn't know I existed."_

_"How long have you running?" I hesitated, wondering why I was giving him this information, but in the end I answered._

_"Three years."_

_"That's amazing. Well you don't have to run anymore." Brydson smiled. My eyes widened, and I stood trying to run only to fall again. He ran to my side, kneeling._

_"But… y-you said that you w-wouldn't…" I couldn't finish because of the tears choking and tightening my throat._

_"No! I didn't mean that. Listen, I told you before, I'm not ever going to do that to you. I'm with the Corporation, do you know-"_

_"Yes," I stated, my voice stronger now. That's where I had been trying to get all along. My parents had files of information on the Corporation, most of which I lost on the journey, but I knew that's where they would have wanted me to go. Although I had absolutely no clue where to go…_

_"Very good. I'll take you there, but first we have to meet up with the rest of the group…" Again, I hesitated, and this time he noticed it._

_"How do I know if you're not just lying to me?" I whispered softly. He leaned down further, taking my face in his hands._

_"I swear on my life that I am not lying to you." Brydson's dark eyes bore into mine with nothing but innocence. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. Risk my life and ultimately succeed, or risk my life and die? I had a feeling I would be forced to go whether or not I wanted to or not. He let go of my face and stood. I opened my eyes quickly._

_"Will you come?" He asked._

_"Yes." Brydson outstretched his hand, smiling and helped me up. I mumbled a thank you as he wrapped his arm around my waist. I gave a questioning look and he shrugged it off with a lopsided grin._

_"Wouldn't want you to be alone anymore." I blushed and he reached down to pick up his gun and put it in his holster. I grew slightly fidgety. He tightened his grip. "Don't be."_

_We continued to walk in silence until the low hum of an engine came into hearing. He stopped_

_"Are you going to tell me your name?" Brydson asked, turning me to face him. I bit my lip, staring at the ground._

_"Alexandra."_

"Alexandra."

I was withdrawn from my thoughts abruptly. I lifted my gaze to him, praying silently that he wouldn't be angered that I had been ignoring for the past five minutes, picking absentmindedly at the food he had previously instructed me to eat. However his face was smooth, his eyes patient. His face broke out into a somewhat amused smile at my startled expression. The redness crept along my cheekbones.

"Is everything alright?" Ryder asked softly. His concerned tone brought me slightly back into the memory. I shook the feeling off though, stabbing a piece of broccoli.

"I'm okay."

"Just okay?" He pressed, the smile growing into a grin. I suppressed a shy smile, staring down at the tablecloth. Ryder chuckled.

I popped the piece of broccoli into my mouth, chewing slowly. His gaze continued to rest on me while we both resumed eating.

So back to the million dollar question… Was I expected to trust him, to live with him, to love him?

I couldn't handle not having an opinion with all this. Did he expect me to fall into submission? Of course he never came out and said that…

"Are you finished?" Ryder asked. I nodded, standing up from the table. He began to lead me away from the dining room, into the hallways of this mansion.

"Where are we going?" I asked softly, an attempt to hide the fear steadily rising. If this dinner ended the same as the way the last one did…

He sensed it, wrapping an arm around my waist tightly. Maybe I hadn't realized it before, but he was muscular. Way larger than me. _And_ Raed. Except Raed had somewhat of the advantage of being taller than his brother.

"A tour."

He was showing me everything? That's odd. Why would he want me to know my way around?

He glanced down at me.

"Well not the whole place. I don't believe we have enough time for all of that today. Unless you would rather rest," Ryder said quickly, so quickly I almost didn't catch it. He misread my apprehension.

I smiled reassuringly up at him, immediately regretting it. Why was I constantly acting this way around him, like I owed it to him, like I lov-

"This is the ballroom, and the door to the far left is the kitchen. And down that hallway are the guest suites. My advice to you is to not ever linger into those hallways," He added in a firm tone, more along the lines of a command. If there were vampires in those rooms, it was guaranteed that I wouldn't be going for a joy walk there…

He continued to walk, away from the dark hallways and toward a lit room we were steadily approaching.

"I'm sure you are going to love this," He murmured in my ear, goose bumps traveling from my neck down to my ankles. As we entered the empty room, I immediately noticed the door on the other side of the room.

Ryder leaned his head down to my ear once more. "Close your eyes."

I hesitated, considering attempting to refuse and pull away.

His hand brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen into my and I tried not to meet those endless eyes.

"Trust me, Alexandra. I would never purposely hurt you." I caved, closing my eyes. It was something in his voice that managed to break through every wall I had ever built. He kept one hand around my arm loosely, cautioning me when he lead me over a few steps, catching me if I stumbled.

_Please don't be a feeding bank… Please._

"Open your eyes."

I obeyed, opening them slowly. I gasped softly, and Ryder chuckled, releasing the imprisoned arm. I walked a few steps away, running my hands over the soft flowers.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"The air was so clear here, every fragrance sweet and new. There weren't any gates in sight, only trees surrounding the large garden. And it was _outside_.

I felt him walk behind me, securing his arms around my waist. "You may come here as often as you like. No one will ever bother you here. I would prefer you out here during the day considering the amount of… traffic that passes through here during the day. I don't want you to be trapped in your room all day."

He paused for a moment.

_He was giving me freedom?_

"There is only forest beyond this garden," Ryder stated, however his eyes gave fair warning. _You may have freedom as long as you don't try running away. _His arms automatically tightened around my waist.

Basically I had freedom as long as I played by his rules. And I never did play well by others rules. There just had to be a catch to all this. Why would he just give me the opportunity to run away? It just didn't add up. It was most likely a trap, a cat and mouse game to test me and give me a reason to kill me. But to go to all that trouble for a mere human? Of course my blood had never been tainted… until last night of course. I shuddered.

He loosened his grip a bit, turning me to face him.

"Are you cold?" I shook my head no slowly, not looking up to meet his eyes. Earlier, he had brought me some clothes. Another dress. Not that it wasn't pretty or soft, but it was too expensive, and well… extravagant looking for me. I'd been wearing armor on missions for years now. The most classy item in my closet there were jeans and a tank top. And even with that, I had multiple weapons stashed in my jeans and a holster for my pistol tied to a loop of the jeans. Now though, with a long dress and not even a small pocketknife on me, I was extremely exposed and vulnerable.

He tilted my face to look at him, however I kept my gaze adverted to the ground. Ryder let go, sighing. I bit my lip as he gently wrapping his cooler hand over mine, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Moving right along…"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Ryder?" This was the first time I had spoken to him without being spoken to first. His head snapped up from his work at the desk, shocked clearly.

"Yes, Alexandra?"

"Can I ask you a question?" I bit my lip, nervous.

He smiled, amused. "You already asked me a question, did you not?" I blushed, running my fingers absentmindedly over the comforter of his bed.

"Why me?" I whispered, afraid he would hear the tremor in my voice if I spoke any louder. His eyes darkened, if even possible. I regretted asking, mumbling an apology. But when I looked up he was in my face. I trembled, trapped in the cage of his arms.

"I'm sorry… Master." I struggled saying the last word, scared that I would be reprimanded if I didn't say the right thing. However he had the reaction I feared the most- Ryder grew furious. He grabbed my chin roughly, an attempt to make me look at him, but I kept my gaze firmly on the bed.

"You will never. Call. Me. That. Again," He punctuated with every word for emphasis. I nodded weakly, tears pooling my eyes. Ryder let go of my chin, returning his hand to my side, fists clenched. "Why do ask that?"

I shook my head, words not being able to form. "Answer me, Alexandra," He growled. I began to cry softly.

"I m-mean… I'm nothing special. W-why me over-r someone that is actually somebody or is r-rich… or pretty-" He wrapped his hand over my mouth, making small quieting, cooing noises until I quit crying for the most part.

When he finally let go, my cheeks were stained with tears and I was still trembling. Ryder now used both hands to cup my face, and this time I met his gaze.

"Don't ever say that again. You don't have to be rich to love somebody. And you… you're the most beautiful human I've ever seen. I don't see or think about anyone anymore but you…" Ryder trailed off in thoughts, but continued a few seconds later. "Alexandra… everyone knows who you are."

"What do you mean?" I mumbled, searching his face for any possible answer.

"Alexandra… I'm part of the Royal Blooded," He whispered, not meeting my eye.

"What part?" He was part of the… Royal Blooded? I felt sick.

"My father… my father is the King." My eyes widened in horror. But there was more to come, more to come that caught me off guard. "And I'm next in line."

* * *

DUN, DUN, DUN!!!!

What did you think about it? My apologies for it being so short, but I was dying to update, and I didn't want to lose anymore readers than I already have XD

Please tell me what you thought about it, I need some constructive criticism. SO REVIEW! =P Please and thank you! Thanks so much to everyone who's been reading and reviewing, you guys, well probably all girls, are awesome!!!

33333

-Aeieo


	10. Chapter 9

Wooh, it's been a while! But on the bright side, HOORAH to an update. This year is going by so fast, I swear the next time I blink it'll be 2010. Anyways, I'm always trying to update. I actually wrote this whole entire chapter on my iPod touch just because I'm hardly ever home. Seriously though, thanks for your reviews, I really appreciate it. I know I'm a horrible author, but if I don't update, PM me and just cuss me out. Trust me, I won't mind. I'll stop babbering, hope you enjoy :)

-Aeieo

**Chapter 9**

**(PS: I tried something new about halfway through the chapter. Feedback appreciated, thanks)**

They were meant to kill without feeling. Without faltering. They were brought upon us to restore order. They succeeded when they overpowered us. The Royal Blooded were a long line of heritage kept carefully concealed until of full power, whereas they rose, and overruled the ones of existence who had not a choice of whether to agree to this. It was planned for years… and everyone else was simply ignorant to the matter. Those who knew were paid off… those who didn't take the money were killed. And when they rose, they _rose_. In the past they had managed to rise politically and emotionally, starting small, becoming popular with all people. Of course, there were a few here and their that saw through their whole act, and were ignored, and there were those who willingly bowed at their feet to be bled dry. But maybe none of that would have mattered.

To know that he was a part of _that_… To know that he agreed with their ways and was brought up in those beliefs… It was disturbing to a point where I flinched every time I looked at him.

No… I said nothing to Ryder. I couldn't find the right thing to say… If he thought I was scared before, then now I was absolutely petrified. He didn't push me though. He didn't force me to look at him, or talk to him. I'm not sure I would've been able to even if forced.

He probably decided by now I wasn't worth it and was looking for another human… I'm not sure he would actually do that though. I don't even know why I was even considering that he might possibly care. Every time I had a feeling though, it almost always turned out to be right, but I didn't even want to think about that right now.

I paced absentmindedly, finally resting at the small balcony in his room. I sat against the glass door, holding my head in my hands.

I knew I couldn't wallow in my own self pity… It didn't fix anything. Then again there was no way to solve it. I may have been able to deal with if he had just been a vampire. _Maybe_. But to be a part of that… To become the next king… I couldn't fully comprehend that.

I stood up. I needed to get out of here. He had left me in his room when I didn't respond, so I had been walking back and forth in the large confinement for the past hour. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to leave or not, but I was sure someone would stop me if I wasn't supposed to.

Opening and closing the door softly, I headed down the staircase being careful to look around for anyone in sight. As usual there was no one; completely desperate. I was beginning to wonder if this was just all some sort of sick test to see how I would react to situation. I mean no human actually knew what the Royal Blooded headquarters looked like, so who was I to know anything…

But he looked so pained when he told me that… Like he was ashamed of it or something. But no vampire would actually be ashamed of being a part of that organization.

Except for the few vampires who donated and were involved with the Corporation. Only the leaders, like Brydson, actually got to see who they were and know their identity.

Now, standing outside in the garden, I decided to sit under a large willow tree, not bothered by the small bugs flying around me. I lay down to stare at the sky through the limbs of the tree. I knew I probably looked like a complete idiot, but I wasn't sure I cared.

If Brydson had such high ranking with vampires, then it would easily explain why he had intentionally found me, kept me under his care, and managed to brainwash me into believing that he loved me. Then sold me off to Ryder.

It was no different than raising a child only to sell them off into slavery. Same concept.

It really hurt that in the eyes of Brydson I was only a chunk of money or a new gun. Was that all I was to anyone anymore?

I don't think I've ever missed my parents anymore than I did now. I found myself asking the same questions I did back then…

_"Mom, why are we hiding?"_

_We lived out in the middle of nowhere. Literally speaking. _

_The trees went on for miles and miles and they were so tall they covered the house from all angles; even aerial. But here we were, sitting in a crevice underground that I didn't even know we had. There was no electricity, although there were a couple candles and boxes of food and water in storage. I was not allowed to light one however._

_"Shh, it'll be alright," She responded back._

_"That's not what I asked…" I muttered, but kept quiet as she wished. _

_I'm pretty sure she was saying that to reassure herself. Her hands were trembling, her face composed of fear and fake calmness, a struggle in which I could not comprehend at the time. My mother was a very small woman, reaching only 5'2 and weighing around 115. But even at her size, I had never seen her scared of anything. I'm not sure if it was because Dad wasn't around or what was going on, but they wouldn't tell me and I wasn't going to worry her anymore than she already was._

_I heard a gunshot. A scream. A loud thump right above our heads. Dad._

_I screamed before she could cover my mouth. I began to sob as the word escaped my mouth._

_Vampires._

_"Be quiet." A harsh command that shut me immediately. I knew now that this was no longer a game or bad weather, but survival._

_I never heard the footsteps above us. I never knew that what was about to happen would change my life forever. I never noticed the sudden light that filled the small space. I never felt the arms dragging us out, or the voice that commanded me not to struggle. I complied in silence as they dragged my mother away. _

_"The papers, the papers, the papers!" She shouted over and over until I somewhat managed to nod my head in acknowledgment. And despite the situation she smiled and the words fell off her lips as easily as she fell to the ground._

_"We love you."_

_Maybe it was that moment reality struck through for me or it may have been an eternity- I wasn't sure. But I began to scream. I screamed and screamed at them until my voice grew hoarse as they burned their bodies. However when the flames burned out and the ashes settled thickly in the air, they began to leave. Only one was left, the hooded figure's eyes the only appearance visible of him, the one who had held me back the entire time. The redness. _

_"Why didn't you kill me?" I screamed up at him, banging my fists against his chest._

_He shrugged away the hood, his mouth upturned into a sadistic smirk as he grabbed each of my wrists and kissed the vein tenderly. I jerked them away, backing up._

_"Because dear… you are nothing to us. Not ours for the keeping." His low gravelly voice sent shivers down my spine. His face was now expressionless as he looked into my eyes, the cold-blooded killer now present under the thin surface before pulling his hood back over his head. _

_But when I blinked, he was gone and I was alone. I stared up through the sifting ashes into the clear night sky never once feeling so small._

_"Why me, why me, why… me?"_

I was being shaken, being sharply told to wake up. Realization dawned on me and I jumped up and ran a few feet away to find Raed staring at me with musing curiosity.

"What do you want from me?" I screamed, my voice echoing far off.

He sighed. "I was walking and found you having a nightmare. I didn't think Ryder would appreciate it if I ignored you and kept on walking."

Of course it had nothing to do with my personal well being, only due to the fact that I belonged to Ryder now. I shuddered at the thought.

"Are you hurt, dear?" Raed asked, walking towards me. I stepped back in unison.

"Please don't touch me," I whispered, clenching my fists tightly, my nails digging into my flesh. However he ignored this, stepping forward to run a finger across my cheek.

His eyes returned to their usual hardened self. "I told you not to be afraid of me… considering… we're family now."

I opened my mouth to scream, to say something back, but another voice stopped me.

"What's going on here?"

Ryder. Like a fallen angel from hell. A small sigh of relief left me as Raed took a step back from me.

"She was having a nightmare and I awoke her, she ran away from me and I followed to be sure she was well," He said so smoothly and convincing I almost believed it myself. Ryder may or may not have seen through it; I wasn't sure, but his darkened expression stayed the same.

"Thank you, Raed. I'll be sure to keep a better eye on her." Ryder said in almost a growl.

"No problem, brother. Family always helps family." Saying this, he winked at me before walking around the other side of the corner, deep off into the woods. I turned to face Ryder, sighing in relief.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have walked out on you, or left you alone for that matter. It was stupid. I should not have expected a better reaction when I knew it was going to scare you. Well more than you already were… God I'm rambling. I'm deeply sorry, would you forgive me?"

I blinked a couple times, trying to comprehend what he had said so quickly to me before answering in a mutter I had forgotten he could hear.

"What do you have to apologize for? I'm sorry for not reacting like you wanted me to."

I started to walk back towards the door, but he stopped me with a vice grip on my arm.

"I never wanted to see a certain reaction from you. I wanted to see the natural one," He said in a low voice.

"Well you're not giving me much of an option here," I snapped back. The hell with crying. I'm a red head with a hell of a temper and I was mad. Ryder's eyes darkened.

"An option? I could have forced you to marry me yesterday, but I didn't. I could have taken you in years ago, but I didn't. I'm giving you options, Alexandra." He struggled to keep his voice under control.

"No you are not! You're telling me that I have to be married to you, to love you, and live here, while you're a part of _that_?" I couldn't hide the disgust in my voice. He pushed me up against the wall, his arms a trap around me. And I'm not sure why, but I wasn't scared.

"I can't help what I raised to be and I can't help who my imprint was chosen to be. If I had brought you in sooner, you would have hated me for taking you away from your parents when you needed them most. If I decided to take you in any later, you would've been in danger. This was the only way," He growled in response.

"So you thought the best way was to allow me to fall in love with one of your slaves in the long-run, when all it would do was break me?"

That shut him up. He stepped away, his fists clenched tightly.

"He was never supposed to fall in love with you. And the last thing on this damn earth I would want to do is hurt you."

I stepped forward, almost touching each other. His gaze was lowered, not meeting my eye. "You're hurting me by keeping me here… Why can't you let me go?"

And Ryder's hand came to rest against the back of my neck, his voice a small whisper. "Because you're a part of me now."

And with the small amount of pressure he applied to my neck, I let out a small whimper, a veil of darkness beginning to cloud my vision.

**Ryder's POV**

How did I manage to do this every time I touched her? I gathered her into my arms, never growing old of the feeling between warmth and ice. Her heartbeat was yet again faint, but steady.

I hurt her constantly whether it be physically or emotionally. I wanted so much to never let go of her… but she was uncomfortable with that right now. I hardly believe we are on speaking terms, much less any form of physical communication.

I suppose had thought it would be easier for her to fall into this lifestyle. I had watched her for her entire life, most recently in the past five years it had taken her to begin to trust Brydson… She fascinated me. After watching her for so long I began to grow closer to her; if even possible at all.

However she saw me as a monster. A bloodsucking bastard that lusted only after her blood.

But how can you tell the truth if in their eyes you're a liar?

Her small hand gripped mine as tightly as a human her size could, an obvious suggestion she was having some form of a nightmare. Probably about me.

I talked in a low voice to her, hoping that somehow it could sooth her restless slumber. But the contortion of pain and fear continued to splay across her face.

I sighed as the door opened and the doctor I had requested finally arriving with his human assistant following and her small child closely behind her.

"Mr. Stoughton." I nodded my head in acknowledgement, standing to shake his hand.

"Thanks for being able to come on such short notice." I had specially requested this doctor for a number of reasons. Although he was usually working in a lab somewhere, he was very well known for finding cures for things such as diseases for humans. A man easy to trust and rely on, many slaves felt comfortable with him. I was positive he would know what was wrong.

"It's not a problem." He smiled, maneuvering himself so that he could reach Alexandra. I sauntered over to another chair, nervous about another man even touching my imprint. But my face was calm and composed. He listened to her heartbeat, occasionally asking a question.

At one point he lifted her up slightly to check the markings on her neck. I could somewhat sense Alexandra awakening, but she showed no sign.

They're definitely unusual…" He murmured before clearing his throat.

"What's the verdict?" I asked, impatient.

"She's in perfect health and shape. Iron and cholesterol levels are perfect and metabolism is excellent. From the answers you've given me, I can only determine a couple of different theories. With many slaves I've seen over the years, I've concluded that rushing a human into adapting to a new environment can cause them to undergo some forms of depressions or panic attacks. A lot have been somewhat abused or scarred in the past, leaving hem to feel the side effects later in life-"

"She's never been tainted," I growled. He smiled at me calmly, but I saw the slight shake in his hands.

"Let me finish Mr. Stoughton, if I may. From her markings of the imprint, I can almost guarantee a theory which I have seen only one other time in my life. It is rare for certain strong minded humans, that they are able to fight off an imprint," He stated, and I allowed the shock to register across my face. He continued. "That doesn't necessarily mean that she will be able to fight it off, but it may be likely that her body will. Some humans simply aren't strong enough to handle the chemicals released into the bite that mix with their own chromosomes from the imprint set in long ago. Along with a stressful environment, it sometimes leads to malnutrition, panic attacks or sometimes referred to as breakdowns, or sometimes death. But from her healthy activity and brain function, I can 100% guarantee that she will be perfectly fine."

He snapped his briefcase shut, ordering his assistant to go ahead and give her a booster vaccination that was needed.

"I suggest to you that you keep her as happy as possible, allow her to have no stress whatsoever." I nodded and he grinned slightly. "I can tell she means a lot to you. I've never seen a vampire so protective over a human before. I thought a few times there for sure you were going to attack me."

He chuckled lightly, and I forced a smile back.

"No worries though, eh? I'll be right back, I have a shot that you can give her whenever she awakes, to prevent any form of depression or panic attacks. I also will go ahead and give you some anti depressant pills, just in case you notice any signs. If you ever need anything, contact me." With that he walked out, the young assistant continuing on with her duties, her little girl peaking at me. Although awake, Alexandra lay perfectly still, I rested my head in my hands, closing my eyes to think things over.

I was mightily relieved it was nothing major. But if she fought off the imprint… I'm not sure what would happen for me or for her. When a mate died, the other mate died soon after. And if the imprint was broken… Well I wasn't sure what would happen. We couldn't just move on. Fate never worked that way.

A small tug against my pant brought me back to realization. My head snapped up to meet the wide-eyed expression. I could say she was around three or four, and absolutely precious. She smelled distinctly of a sweet fragrance. I lifted her onto my lap, smiling, and she giggled. This of course caused her mother to look up with absolute horror and fear, stopping what she was doing.

"Please don't hurt her! She's my only child! She's all I have left now… Please." The young mother's voice was tempted to break. I shook my head, smiling softly in reassurance.

"I would never hurt a child or anyone purposely. She's far too much of a beauty for our kind anyways. Innocence and youth like hers shouldn't be shouldn't be bothered by the harsh reality we've caused." The mother looked at me in shock, shaking her head in disbelief. "Please continue with what you are doing. You have my life in your hands, I have your life in my hands."

She smiled slightly and shook her head before she was completely reassured her daughter was safe, to return to her work.

The small child played contentedly, amazed at the differences between the size.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

Now shy, she looked up at me through thick lashes. "07594."

My haw tightened in anger. Some 'masters' these days… Haven't the littlest decency to give a child a name. I stood to walk over and place the girl back with her mother.

"What's her real name?" She looked up at me, fearful.

"I wasn't allowed to name her. It's against Master's rules." She muttered automatically. Robotically.

"You have to give her a name," I murmured back, pacing back and forth slowly before leaning back against the wall. The mother didn't respond however continued with her duties with shaking hands. I don't know why it bothered me. But it did way more than it should have. When she was finished, the doctor came back in with the pills and shot. I paid him over his amount as they left, but not before the mother slipped past me whispering a name in my ear.

"Marie." I smiled as she picked up her child and followed closely behind the doctor.

Alexandra sat up, wide wake. She was a hell of an actress, fooling even vampires.

Her dark eyes glanced at me questioningly. Almost wearily. As if she were tired of fighting. I stayed put against the wall for now, certain to no longer push her boundaries.

"How do you feel?"

She stared at me with a blank expression, ignoring the question. "I'm not crazy."

I walked over to the edge where she sat. She didn't move a muscle.

"No one said you were, dear. I'm afraid you misinterpreted what he said-" Alexandra cut me off.

"I'm not depressed. And I'm definitely not going to take any of that medicine or a shot. I'm stable."

"I am only concerned about your well-being," I said softly back.

"I'm not crazy," She whispered. I rested my hand on her leg lightly, watching for any signs of discomfort.

"It's your body and I won't give you anything unless you need it. You already promised you would not harm yourself. I trust you Alexandra." And why can't you trust me? "Can it be a deal?"

She looked down to where my hand was, again forgetting I could hear her whisper. "It shouldn't be up to you in any way."

"I know."

Alexandra peeked up at me through her eyelashes, confused. I grinned slightly, trying to lighten the atmosphere a bit.

"How does your arm feel?" At once her eyes narrowed, her face going from pain, to shock, and finally again to confusion.

"But how did that… How long was I asleep?" Her voice rose to hysteria. I came closer to her, taking Alex's hands into my own. She didn't flinch. Perhaps she was over her fear.

"Two nights ago, when I had… bitten you. The venom healed you," I murmured.

"Is that why you did it?" There was not a single hint of accusation in her voice, so I had a hard time believing that she believed it herself.

I shook my head, careful not to lose my temper. Her pulse was steady and by all means I intended to keep it that way.

"No, of course not. I had lost control." My voice was a whisper. "I had almost killed you."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry."

Her hand squeezed mine gently, a small comforting gesture I wasn't expecting. I looked up shocked and she quickly took back her hand, drawing up her knees slightly.

The docile creature drew in a sharp breath, looking away shyly. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. My emotions are so off right now, I am beginning to think I'm not me anymore. I hate everything about you, what you are and what you're a part of. But when I see you sad, it upsets me and I don't even know why. I can't believe that I'm telling you this. I can't believe what I tell myself anymore. Everything feels like a lie. Maybe I am crazy." She laughed shakily. I ran my fingers over her face lightly and breathing quieted as her heart sped up.

"I've been feeling that every day since you were born." I saw it in her expression, the way her eyes became distant, that she was looking back.

"What happened to them?"

"Pardon?"

"What happened to the two vampires that brought me here? The ones that you said you'd…" She didn't finish her sentence, but the blood drained from her face. "You killed them?"

I smiled, amused, and her eyes widened in fear. Such an odd human. Mad that I would kill two vampires for her. Or perhaps scared that I could kill two vampires with no apprehension or trouble.

"No, dear. We'll just say they got more than a stern talking to." I winked at her. She remained serious however. I read her emotions carefully.

"I'm scared," Alexandra whispered a few seconds later. I wasn't sure if she was telling that to herself or me, however I immediately responded.

"I'll protect you."

Her expression was broken, torn between sorrow and confusion. "How can you protect me from yourself?"

There was a long pause between us I found hard to understand.

I had to get out of here before I lost control. I think I had managed to mumble an apology of some sort before I ran, knowing she would stay.

This girl… this woman… my imprint. She caused my distress.

And I took it out on nature, ravaging whatever I allowed my instincts to control. In fact, it seemed to be the only control I had anymore.

_She hated me._

I was a monster. I could never compare. I could never be what she wanted.

_She was scared of me._

The gentlest of touches could not soothe her. I was the predator, she the prey. Who was I change the way things were.

_She loved me._

She wouldn't have to say it. It was a forced reaction set in long ago, shown only from her eyes. Perhaps one day she would break.

The haze from the bloodlust drained my sanity, instincts more prominent rather than emotions.

_**She was mine.**_

* * *

Yeah so I tried something new. I wasn't too fond of it. What'd you guys think?


End file.
